Pacific Rim: Ash and Smoke
by Elhini Prime
Summary: It's been eleven years of peace since the end of the Second Kaiju war. But one day it all changes. Romani Hansen, son of Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka, learns that the world isn't what he thought it was. That his parents weren't who they said they were. But can an inexperienced Jaeger go up against the king of Kaiju? Sequel to Pacific Rim: New Chance. Rated T
1. Chapter 1

**So! I'm on break, so that means I get to do some extra writing. I know a lot of you who've read ****_New Chance_**** have been waiting for this, so I won't keep you. This is basically a retelling of the 2014 ****_Godzilla_**** movie with Gipsy and Striker's son, Romani, being the lead role and everyone else kinda falling into place. **

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 1

Octavia Yvern was not a happy lawyer. She had been taken away from her daughter's karate tournament after her client at Monarch _begged_ her to come to come out to the Philippines on a crazy mission of sorts.

"Mr. Serizawa," Octavia sighed, "I do not see the _point_ in bringing me out here. You need a scientist such as yourself and Ms. Graham…not a lawyer like me,"

"Trust me, Mrs. Yvern," Ishiro Serizawa promised, "Besides, it was not just me who asked you to come…an old friend of yours contacted me and asked,"

"Who?" Octavia blinked.

"You'll see," Ishiro said with a faint smile as he turned to look at the pocket watch in his hand.

The chopper landed and Octavia gripped the seatbelt as the machine shuddered. She _hated_ getting on these things…but she _did_ like to fly. She even had her own pilot's license _and_ a plane. It was when someone else was flying the contraption that she wasn't amused.

Ishiro jumped out of the chopper, Ms. Graham, Vivienne, right behind him and then Octavia followed them both right as a man ran up to Ishiro.

"Dr. Serizawa?" the man called, making Ishiro nod, "Jerry Boyd. I'm warning you, it's a mess,"

"A _total_ mess!" a young man with ash-blond hair beamed, walking up, "Hey, 'Tavia!"

Octavia's eyes widened slightly before she shook her grey-streaked hair.

"Ryan Drake," Octavia chuckled, "I should have known you'd be here. Who else would have coerced Dr. Serizawa to drag me out into the middle of nowhere,"

"You needed to get out more," Ryan shrugged, turning to follow Mr. Boyd, "C'mon, you'll want to see this,"

"Really?" Octavia deadpanned.

"Just come on," Ryan sighed.

"Monarch sent me in this morning," Jerry explained, "Took a look around, but I told them we needed you. Ryan said that we needed Ms. Yvern…"

"Mrs.," Octavia corrected, "I've been happily married for eleven years,"

"Because she had some experience with these sorts of things," Jerry continued.

"Do you?" Vivienne asked.

"Ryan and I both worked for the PPDC during the Second Kaiju war," Octavia admitted, "We were more of scientists than anything…"

"Exactly," Ryan nodded, "Anyway, we picked up a radiation pocket out here last month…we were digging for some old artifacts when we hit it,"

"The others got excited, thinking they had a uranium deposit…They started stacking up the heavy machinery and then…" Jerry shrugged.

"The valley floor kinda collapsed into a cavern below," Ryan finished, "Just dropped away, just _gone_,"

The group got to a railing…and looked out over a massive sinkhole. Octavia's hands shot to her mouth, her wedding band flashing in the light as her cool blue gaze raked over the hole.

"How many…?" she asked.

"Best guess right now is about 40 miners went down with it," Ryan told her.

Octavia closed an eye as she glared at him.

"Is _that_ why you called me here? To help with a lawsuit from those miners' families?!"

"What? _No_!" Ryan sputtered, "I _really_ thought you needed to see what's down there. Jerry, c'mon, back me up,"

"He did say you would want to see this," Jerry agreed.

"Then _why_ don't we just go down and _see_!" Octavia snapped, crossing her arms.

"I see the years have made you no less calm," Ryan deadpanned, "C'mon, we need to get you all suited up if you want to come see what we found…the radiation is kinda on the high level,"

* * *

><p>"This way," Ryan called, motioning with a heavily gloved hand, "Be careful,"<p>

"I never liked these god-awful suits," Octavia grumbled, "They're clunky and stuffy,"

"It's only for a short while, 'Tavia," Ryan reassured her as he clambered over a rock, hauling Octavia's lean, slender form up next to him, "How's Kat by the way? Haven't seen her or Levi in a while,"

"Levi's well," Octavia stated, "His clinic's just starting to take off. And Kat's doing fine…she was getting ready to get her black belt before you so rudely called me over here,"

"Still have a sharp tongue," Ryan sighed, looking ahead, "When we first discovered this pocket, the radiation levels were only half as strong. It's almost as if contact with the outside air started _catalyzing_ something,"

"I think being a businessman with Scott wasn't your calling, Ryan," Octavia teased, "You know what you're talking about here,"

"Funny," Ryan deadpanned, shining his flashlight up what looked to be a fossil.

"Some kinda of fossils, right?" Jerry asked.

"I've been digging holes for ten years and I've never seen anything like it," Ryan admitted, "Well...except at the PPDC,"

Octavia froze and looked at her friend.

"You don't mean…" she started softly.

Ryan gave a slight nod as everyone started lighting lamps.

"Oh my God," Vivienne breathed as more and more of the _skeleton_ come to light, she looked towards Ishiro, "Is it possible? Is it _him_?"

"No," Ishiro shook his head, "This is _much_ older,"

Octavia sidled closer to Ryan.

"What have you been playing with?" she hissed, "is this…"

"Kaiju skeleton," Ryan nodded, "But here _way_ before the first War,"

He tilted his head farther down the tunnel.

"There's something else too…"

He grabbed her arm and led her farther down the fossilized Kaiju's spine, stopping in front of a massive stalactite pockmarked with baseball sized holes.

"What is it?" Octavia asked, cocking her head, "Some kinda egg?"

Ryan shrugged and Vivien voiced her opinion.

"A giant spore?" she asked, raking her flashlight's beam across the ceiling, "The bones are fossilized but this formation seems to be perfectly preserved,"

"This one looks broken!" Jerry called from the other side of the cavern, "Like something came out of it!"

"That's not good," Ryan murmured as the sound of a helicopter's blades filled the cavern.

The young man walked farther along just to see a massive tunnel leading to the outside. The group climbed up out of the tunnel and stood in the middle of a large crater with a large trench leading out the side of the crater all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

Octavia looked at her friend with slight fear.

"Where did it go, Raiju," she growled.

"I don't know, Otachi," Ryan, Raiju, blinked, "I really don't know,"

* * *

><p>Seven year old Romani quietly crept out of his bed and walked out of his room into his sisters' shared one.<p>

He shook his elder sister's shoulder, waking her up.

"'Mani…" Nine year old Angel murmured, "It's too early…"

"Dad's going to go to work soon if we don't do anything!" Romani hissed, walking over to his younger sister and shaking her shoulder.

Five year old Sylph blinked back the wisps of sleep that still veiled her eyes.

"It time for Daddy's surprise?" Sylph yawned.

Romani nodded and padded over to the closet, carefully pulling out a banner, colorfully decorated and emblazoned with the words 'Happy Birthday Dad' on it.

"Let's go!" Romani whispered as his sisters got out of bed and followed him right as the phone rang.

"I'll get it," came their father's deep voice, "It's probably for me,"

They heard their father speaking rapid-fire Japanese to the person on the other side of the phone. Something he'd had to learn upon arriving in Japan for a temporary job…much to his wife's amusement.

_"_No Takashi! _No!_" their father growled, "Takashi, just listen t' me for a second!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Angel whispered to her brother, blowing her copper-locks out of her eyes.

"It's his birthday," Romani stated, "I wasn't expecting him to be _up_ really…"

"I'm askin' for the meetin' because if I _have_ to shut the reactor down y're _not_ gonna want to read about it in a memo!" their father continued, "_Because_ I've been followin' these tremors since they started in the Philippines and _now_ they're in our own backyard!"

The three children peeked around the door just to see their father run a hand through his copper colored hair.

"No, no, _no_! Hayato says I need to go through _you_ about this!" the father sighed, exasperated, "_Look_! I'm just I'm _just_ trying t' follow the protocols set forth by the company. _That's all_. It's my _job_!

The three swung back around the door right as their tall, dark-haired mother came around the corner. Her blue eyes looking over her three children in slight amusement.

"He's _awake_!" Romani hissed.

Their mother gave a sad smile and a shrug.

"Oh I _know_," she shook her head, "He got up early,"

"What we gonna do?" Angel asked.

Their mother closed her eyes, biting her lip before reopening her eyes and looking at her children again.

"Get dressed, all of you…I'll figure it out," she reassured them, "Okay?"

"Okay," the three chorused, walking towards their rooms.

* * *

><p>Minutes later, Angel and Romani sprinted out the door with their coats and backpacks, racing towards the bus stop.<p>

"Later Dad!" Angel called, waving.

"See ya later!" Romani echoed.

Steven didn't even look up from his call, but he waved as Gipsy came out with little Sylph. Gipsy walked towards the sidewalk, towards a young woman standing in front of a car.

"Bye Mommy!" Sylph chirped as Gipsy handed her off to the young woman who would take Sylph to day-care, "Bye Daddy!"

Once again, Steven didn't even look up. Gipsy rolled her eyes and hugged her daughter, kissing her on the head.

"I'll see you later little Huntress," Gipsy grinned, ruffling Sylph's black curls.

"Mommy!" Sylph whined, flattening her hair down before getting in the car.

Gipsy laughed as she walked to the car with her husband. Steven still intently speaking with Takashi on the other side.

"…I'm an engineer an' I don't like unexplained frequency patternin', near a plant where I'm _responsible_!" Steven growled, "I need a meetin'. _Make it happen_!"

Steven lapsed back into Japanese as he and Gipsy got in the car. Gipsy looked up just in time to see both Angel and Romani waving at her. She waved energetically back right as Steven hung up.

"Your Japanese is improving," Gipsy noted.

"Thanks," Steven replied numbly as he struggled to get the seatbelt fastened.

"They made you a sign," Gipsy added.

"What?" Steven blinked.

"Your _birthday_ sign," Gipsy hinted, "They worked _so hard_!"

Steven gave a tired, sad sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh God…" he muttered, "I didn't…"

"I'm going to come home early," Gipsy consoled him, "I'll take the car and pick them up and we can get a proper cake…Okay?"

Steven gave a soft smile as he rubbed his wife's back.

"Listen, I need to know that it's not the sensors, okay?" he asked, making Gipsy nod, "I _can't_ be callin' this meeting an' look like the Aussie maniac,"

"What would that make me? The Aussie maniac's American wife who believed him?" she teased, making Steven sigh and shake his head.

"So when we get there, don't even bother coming up," Steven told her, "Just grab a team and go down to Level 5,"

"You're not a maniac," Gipsy told him, "I mean, you _are_…"

Steven glared at her.

"Just not about this," Gipsy finished, ignoring him.

"Must be _something_ we're not thinking of," he muttered.

"Happy birthday!" Gipsy cried, throwing her hands up in the air.

Steven blinked rapidly, honestly surprised.

"Wha…is it!?" he sputtered.

"Yes it is!" Gipsy laughed, hugging him around the neck.

"Oh…I forgot all about it…" Steven stammered.

"No kidding," Gipsy deadpanned, giving him a kiss…and then another, and another.

"I should have birthdays more often then," Steven chuckled.

"You wish," Gipsy growled playfully.

* * *

><p>"What is this?" Steven asked, looking at the readouts as they walked to the control room.<p>

"Seismic anomaly," one of the other scientists stated, "This graph is minutes. X is _minutes_ not days! This is _now_!"

"Wait, hold on…" the supervisor stammered, "_Seismic_ activity!? You're talking about _earthquakes_?!"

"No earthquakes are random, jagged," Steven stated, "This is consistent, increasing…this is a _pattern_,"

Steven opened the door, looking at the group in front of him until he found the one face he was wanting to find.

"Takashi," Steven started, showing him the papers, "What the 'ell is going on? Have ya _seen_ this?"

"Yeah…maybe not such good time for a meeting," he shrugged.

Steven closed his eyes and _breathed_ before reopening them and looking at the computerized version of the readouts.

"What's the source?" he asked, "Where's the epicenter?"

"We don't know," Takashi admitted, "But it keeps getting stronger,"

"It's gotta be centered _somewhere_," Steven murmured, standing upright, his tall 6'6" form towering over everyone else, "Hayato!"

"No one else is reporting it," Hayato stated, "We are contacting every other plant in the Kantō region. Tōkai, Fujiyama…they're unaffected. But my guess is these readings are just aftershocks from the Philippine earthquake."

"Are we at full function?" Steven asked slowly.

"Yes, we are," Takashi announced.

Steven turned around right as Takashi spoke again.

"But perhaps we should be drawing down…" he amended, "to be safe,"

The building shook violently, Steven throwing out his hand to keep his balance. The computers and lights all flickered and Steven's wild blue gaze flicked to Takashi.

"Take us offline," he ordered.

"Now Steven…" the supervisor started.

"_DO IT!_" Steven roared, "Now! Wind it down!"

He started towards the radios, grabbing one of them.

"Gips," he called, "Gipsy are you there?"

The room shook violently again, this time tiles from the roof fell from their places, crashing down on some of the computers and sending up splashes of sparks. Every light in the room flickered off and Steven called once more into the radio.

"Gipsy!" he called.

_"__Steven are you there?!"_ came Gipsy's frantic voice, _"Steven there's been a breach! We're heading back to the containment seal!"_

"Gipsy, listen t' me," Steven ordered, "Ya need t' get outta there! _Run_! If there's been a reactor breach, ya won't last five minutes with or without the suits! Do ya hear me!?"

_"__I hear you! We're coming!"_

The room shook again, throwing Steven off his feet and into a filing cabinet. The young man groaned, rubbing his head as the lights flared red and alarms began to wail. Steven turned to Takashi.

"I'll meet them there myself," he stated, "Put the safety doors on manual override,"

"Steven! I cannot do that!" Takashi protested.

"Keep the doors open!" Steven snarled, racing out the door, "My wife is still in there!"

Steven practically flew down the halls, racing faster and faster towards the containment seal. Now more than ever he wished that his old speed was still with him…but he had given that up a long time ago.

He skidded to a stop in front of the doors and punched the communications button on the consol next to the door.

"Takashi, tell me this door's on manual," he growled.

_"__Yeah, but we're starting to breach!"_ Takashi warned.

"I'm right _here_," Steven snapped, "As soon as they're through, I'll seal it!"

He turned to his handheld radio and spoke into it.

"Gips, can ya hear me?" he asked, "I'm at the door…"

Static.

"Gipsy!" Steven pleaded.

Still nothing.

_"__Gipsy_ I'm waiting for you!" he yelled, "I'm at the checkpoint! But ya have to _run_ Gips as fast as you can!"

_"__I AM!" _Gipsy shrieked.

_"__STEVEN!"_ came Takashi's voice, _"Are you there!?"_

"I'm here," Steven started.

_"__Close the door!"_ Takashi pleaded, _"Seal the corridor or the whole city will be exposed!"_

Steven's heart nearly stopped as he shook his head. He couldn't leave Gipsy…not when she was so close…

"Gips?" he asked again.

_"__Steven?"_ came Gipsy's frantic voice, _"Steven can you hear me?"_

"Yeah," Steven breathed.

_"__Are you there?!"_

"Gips, I'm here," Steven started, "Can ya hear me?"

_"__Yeah!"_ came Gipsy's breathless reply, _"Steven…it's too late. We're…we're not coming…"_

"No _no_ don't say that!" Steven snapped, "DON'T YOU SAY THAT! RUN AS HARD AS YOU CAN GIPS!"

_"__Steven…you have to close the door,"_ Gipsy panted, _"You have to live for our kids,"_

The building rumbled again and Steven's eyes flicked up to see a wall of thick, pearly grey steam rushing towards him. The blood ran out of his face as he stared at it.

_"__STEVEN! SEAL THE DOOR!" _Takashi screeched, _"NOW!"_

"Oh my God…" Steven breathed, blue eyes wide as the steam roiled closer and closer.

_"__Five seconds!"_ Takashi yelled, _"Four seconds!"_

Steven gave an ear-piercing scream and slammed the door shut right as the steam slammed against the metal, twisting and writhing almost angrily at being thwarted at its escape.

The man fell against the doorframe, tears streaming as heart-wrenching sobs tore from his mouth. He could hear the faint pounding of frantic fists as they banged against the metal and thick glass of the door. Steven lifted his head, watching the terrified faces of the workers pressing against the glass, begging and pleading for him to let them out.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

A familiar face peered through the glass and Steven's hands shot to his mouth, the blue and silver wedding band on his hand flashing as his eyes met his wife's.

Gipsy's blue eyes flickered in understanding as she ripped off the hazmat helmet, revealing her sweat-slicked hair. She put her hand on the window and Steven did the same.

"Take care of Angel, Romani and Sylph," Gipsy ordered, tears streaming, "Be a good father,"

"I will," Steven promised, leaning his head on the glass.

"We didn't make it," Gipsy sobbed as the doors forced Steven away, "I…I love you, Striker Eureka,"

"I love you too…Gipsy Danger," he returned...

And the doors shut.

**Don't kill me, okay? No, Gips isn't dead. I'll explain later, it's just this was getting a little long for my taste. I will be referring to the Kaiju and Jaegers by their human names until a certain point in the future. Then it'll be back to the normal group. But let me know what you think...and I'll put up a new chapter!**

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I promised another chapter and here it is! I promise you now, the others _will_ be in this...just not yet. It will be a few chapters at least until we get into their part...but they will be here. And like I said before, Gipsy is _not_ dead...I will explain everything later, I promise!**

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 2

_Seventeen Years Later_

The plane landed on the ground roughly with a jolt. Twenty-four year old Romani Hansen looked out at the California landscape as the doors began to open.

"On your feet!" the Drill Sergeant ordered.

Everyone else rose to their feet except Romani…but the young man sprang up once the first few soldiers walked past him. Even though he was back on American soil…he still couldn't believe that his first tour of duty was _over_.

"You got family waiting for you?" one of the older soldiers asked.

Romani looked at him with a faint smile.

"I hope so," he shrugged.

"How long you been away?"

"Fourteen months," Romani told him.

"Take it slow," the soldier advised, "It's the one thing they don't train you for,"

Romani gave a grateful nod and shouldered his pack, stepping out into the tarmac and walking into the airport. He looked around for someone familiar…when something ran into him.

"You're home!" came a familiar voice and Romani turned around to face his younger sister, Sylph, who was currently attending college at California State.

"You're not in school," Romani stated.

"Senior Ditch Day," Sylph smirked, "Ah, actually I called in 'sick'…with a very serious disease. The only way to cure it was to be the first to see my brother as he got off the plane,"

Romani ruffled his sister's choppy black hair, making her growl, and looked around. Sylph gave a wicked smile.

"Your darling wife and son are at home," she told him, "And since I got a dinky little smart car…bad idea by the way…Angel's picking us up,"

"Thank God for older sisters with kids," Romani chuckled.

"Yeah," Sylph nodded, "Hey, you heard from Dad lately?"

"No not really," Romani deadpanned, "In case you haven't noticed, I've been dumping sand outta my boots for fourteen months…might be fifteen,"

"There you two are!"

Sylph and Romani looked around and saw their older, copper-haired sister walking towards them.

"I thought you two had been way-laid by someone," Angel sighed.

Romani dropped his stuff and hugged his older sister, Angel returning it just as hard.

"It still amazes me that I've taken Basic Training to build up my skinny, weakling arms…and you're a Mom who works in a lab and you _still_ nearly break my back with your hugs," Romani teased.

"I haven't seen my little brother in what? Fourteen almost fifteen months?" Angel huffed, "You're lucky I didn't kick your rear into next Tuesday. A text saying 'Oh, by the way, I'm on the plane to Afghanistan, see you in fourteen months'? You _jerk_!"

"I'm not one for goodbyes!" Romani sputtered, "I like 'hello' better,"

She punched him in the shoulder.

"I deserved that," Romani muttered, rubbing his shoulder.

"And more," Angel growled, "But I'm letting your wife do that for you,"

* * *

><p>Gwen Hansen knew that her husband would be coming home that day…so did her son, Charlie.<p>

"He here yet?" Gwen asked.

"Not yet!" Charlie chirped.

That was good…she had to put the _final_ touches on the cake. Sylph and Angel promised that they'd keep Romani out for most of the day and bring him in the evening.

Suddenly, Charlie gasped and raced out the door.

"Charlie!" Gwen yelled, putting down the icing tube and running after her son…

Right into two strong arms.

"Guess who?"

Gwen's eyes sparkled as Romani tilted her head up so he could give her a gentle kiss.

"Daddy home!" Charlie beamed from up on Romani's shoulder.

"That he is," Gwen smiled contentedly.

She turned towards her sisters in law and waved.

"Thanks for keeping him occupied!" she called.

"Any time I get to put the hurt on him in basketball is a good day in my book!" Sylph beamed, nearly skipping back to the car as Angel rolled her eyes.

"If he needs a whap on the head, just give us a call ok?" Angel asked to which Gwen nodded and Romani started to sputter.

As the sisters left, Gwen put a hand on Romani's cheek turning his face towards her.

"C'mon, let's go inside," she offered, "Charlie and I made something for you,"

Romani gave a shrug and followed his wife inside, looking at the familiar and yet foreign contours of his own home. The young man set Charlie down on the ground and quickly got changed in his room, coming back out in an old t-shirt and jeans.

"I'll be back in a minute," Gwen promised, "Charlie…keep him busy while I get the surprise.

"Surprise?" Romani asked as he sat down on the couch with his son on his knee, "What surprise?"

"I can't tell you," Charlie said.

"Can I _see_ it?" Romani wheedled.

"Don't let him see!" Gwen called as she came out the kitchen door.

Charlie lunged forwards and covered his father's eyes, making Romani yelp.

"Charles Hercules Hansen!" Romani whined, "C'mon, let me see!"

"Alright," Gwen laughed, "Charlie, you can let him look,"

Charlie took his hands off his father's eyes and Romani looked down at a homemade cake.

"Whoa!" he laughed, "Oh, my God!"

"It's a welcome home cake," Gwen smiled.

"Look at that," Romani grinned, "Gwen…you used the oven?! Charlie…I don't think we should eat that…might be radioactive…"

Gwen playfully whacked his shoulder again and Romani snickered.

Charlie pulled on his father's sleeve, directing him to look up at a sign above the sliding glass doors.

"That's you," he said, pointing at a taller stick-figure, then at a shorter one, "And that's me!"

"What's it say?" Romani smiled.

"Welcome home Daddy!" the five-year old beamed.

"Daddy's home…" Romani started.

"Daddy's home," Gwen agreed.

"Cake every night," Romani grinned, ruffling his son's brunette curls.

"Yeah, that's not happening!" his wife corrected, wiping off the boy's face.

"Daddy's home equals cake every night," Romani repeated, a wicked smile gracing his angular features.

"_How_ did you manage to get chocolate on your eyeball!?" his wife demanded, changing the subject.

"Daddy did it," the boy giggled, making Romani burst into peals of laughter.

"Alright you little munchkin," Romani grinned, "Time for you to go to bed,"

"Aw, _Daddy_!" Charlie pouted as Romani swept him up in his arms and flipped him upside down, "Eeek! Daddy!"

Romani laughed and ran into his son's room, flipping him upright before sitting him on the bed. He lay down next to him and tickling him mercilessly.

"I can't sleep with you making all this noise!" Romani teased as Charlie squealed and howled with laughter, "C'mon, let's get you into bed,"

He pulled up the comforter over his son's tall slender frame.

"Ok, big man," Romani murmured, patting the blanket and kissing his son's forehead, "Time to hit the rack,"

Romani got off the bed, walking towards the door when his son spoke again.

"Dad?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are you still gonna be here tomorrow?" Charlie asked.

Romani gave a soft smile.

"Yeah," he promised, "C'mon, let's get some sleep,"

And he turned off the light before walking into the living room.

* * *

><p>"…and so he turns around, nose-to-nose, he says 'At ease, lieutenant,'" Romani snickered as he finished the story.<p>

Gwen laughed, long and loud, filling Romani with warmth…it had been so _long_.

"I've missed your laugh," he purred softly as he pulled her close.

"I missed _you_," Gwen countered, nuzzling into his shoulder.

He gently kissed her forehead and she tilted her head up so that he had better reach to her mouth. He had just wrapped his arms around his wife…when the phone rang.

Romani shook his head 'no' even as he still kissed his wife.

"I should get that," Gwen murmured.

"Nuh uh," Romani growled playfully.

"It could be work,"

"Noooo," Romani whined, pecking her on the cheek.

"I need to get that," Gwen laughed.

"You don't _need_ to," Romani sulked.

She tapped his nose and got up, walking to the phone and picking it up.

"Hello?" she asked, as Romani got up, "Yeah, this is Mrs. Hansen,"

"Tell him that you're busy attending to your sick husband's needs," Romani suggested.

"You're not sick," Gwen growled playfully.

"I'm _homesick_," Romani replied with a wicked grin.

Gwen wacked him again and turned back to the conversation as Romani took the plates and put them in the sink.

"Yeah…he's my husband," she started slowly.

"Tell them we're not gonna buy it," Romani said, thinking it was a salesman.

"Yes sir…could you just hold on one moment?" Gwen asked, taking the phone from her ear and turning to her husband, "It's the consulate…Steven's been arrested in Japan,"

Romani gave a dark growl and ran his hand through his hair.

"Tell them I'll be there to get him…_again_," he snarled, walking towards his and Gwen's room and digging through his drawers to get what he needed for the trip, "_Gwen_! I can't find my good jeans,"

"They're in the other drawer," Gwen said softly as she came up behind him and Romani grabbed the article of clothing, "So why was he trespassing in the quarantine zone?"

"Why do you think?" Romani snorted bitterly, "The lone crusader for the truth,"

He walked over to another dresser and picked up some more items.

"All his crackpot cuckoo theories," Romani hissed dangerously as he slammed another drawer shut.

"Your father is a good man," Gwen started, "He just needs your help right now,"

Romani gave a derisive snort.

"Romani…he lost _everything_,"

"Yeah, _so did I_!" Romani snarled, "Me, Angel and Sylph all lost our _mother_ that day! But you know what?! We all got ever it. _I_ got over it!"

"Right, I can see that," Gwen deadpanned.

Romani closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "It's just…every time I let him in close, he always tries to drag me back. And I can't…I _can't_ put our family through that!"

"Well, he _is_ your family," Gwen said.

Romani sighed and turned back to his packing. Gwen came closer.

"Hey, come here," she ordered, taking his hand in hers, "You know you're only gonna be gone for a few days, right? And then _you_ are gonna come back to me,"

"I like that idea," Romani purred, kissing her softly.

"It's not the end of the world," she promised.

_"No, but sometimes I feel like it is,"_ Romani thought.

* * *

><p>Romani sat cross armed in the police station. He saw the door opening and he looked up in slight annoyance only to see an officer bringing out a very ticked off girl. She couldn't have been older than seventeen. The girl's family…a sister and a father Romani guessed, stood up to take her. The man began speaking very rapid, very angry Japanese…and from what Romani remembered from his mother teaching him…well, let's just say it wasn't very nice.<p>

Almost as if someone called his name, Romani turned around…facing his father in the glass separating the waiting room from the prison.

Steven Hansen gave a sad, yet appreciative smile and walked towards the door. The officer opened the door and let the older man out. Steven looked at Romani and Romani just stood there.

"Hello son," Steven murmured, "Long time, no see,"

Romani just shook his head.

"Let's just get out of here," he growled.

…

Steven turned the light on in his small apartment, revealing the room wall-papered with newspaper clippings and articles. Romani looked at them all as Steven set his stuff down. The young man turned towards his father silently.

"I…don't get many visitors," Steven said quietly.

"Clearly," Romani deadpanned.

"This is y' here," Steven started, "Even, uh, Ph.D.'s. I don't get much teachin' English as a second language…Your mother was so much better at reachin' kids than me,"

Romani wasn't baying much attention. He was looking at the clippings…almost all of them were about the Meltdown seventeen years ago.

"So…" Steven began, fiddling around with a box, "How's the bomb business? It must be a growth area these days,"

"It's called 'explosive ordnance disposal'," Romani corrected, "My job isn't _dropping_ bombs…it's stopping them. Dad…"

"Oi…" Steven interrupted, "How's Gwen doin'? An' Charlie…Oh my God he must be what…three? Three in a half?"

"Almost _five_," Romani growled before walking over to a new article, no, a _book_, he picked it up and read the cover, "I thought you were over this. 'Echolocation'?"

"Oh, _hey_!" Steven sputtered, walking over and trying to take the book.

"'Parasitic communication'?" Romani asked as Steven snatched the book out of his hands.

"Please don't, if ya don't mind," Steven said tersely, "I have everythin' the way I like it. I'm just…I'm studying bioacoustics,"

"What were you doing, going back there?" Romani demanded.

"This trespassing stuff," Steven dismissed, "That was bull,"

"You _broke_ the law,"

"I was _tryin'_ to get back to our old house!" Steven protested.

"In a _quarantine_ zone!"

"Precisely," Steven said eyes blazing, "The new readin's are _exactly_ like they were on that day an' I can _prove_ it to ya!"

He moved over to another pile of papers.

"With a little bit of luck, if I can get _back_ to the house I can show ya an' the rest of the world that this was _not_ from a natural disaster. This was _not_…"

"DAD!" Romani snapped.

Steven stopped, falling silent as he walked around his son and to the kettle, which was whistling like mad. He took it off the heating plate and looked out the window, eyes dull and sad.

"Your Mom's out there, Romani," he whispered quietly, "To me…she'll always be there. They evacuated us so quickly…I don't even have a _picture_ of 'er…"

He sounded so…so _broken_. Like something had cracked…like all the life had been drained from his father's body.

"This has to stop," Romani murmured.

Steven turned his pained gaze to his son.

"Y'know I did _everyin'_ I could," he said, "Y'know that…right?"

Romani closed his eyes for a moment before looking up again.

"Let me take you home," he offered, "Come _home_ with me. I got a little boy who's desperate to see his grandpa…and Angel's got a little girl with another on the way. Sylph's got a little boy on the way too. We can leave tomorrow,"

Steven gave a soft smile and Romani returned it.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Romani woke up to his father softly speaking to a man on a radio, his Japanese flowing so quickly and smoothly that Romani wasn't catching it. Suddenly, Steven took off his glasses and pushed back from the desk, turning to see Romani standing before him.<p>

"What are you doing?" Romani asked.

Steven stood up and put on his jacket, blue eyes hard.

"I'm headin' back out there, Romani," he said firmly, "One hour, in an' out,"

"No, I don't think so," Romani growled.

"I HAVE T' GO!" Steven snarled, his voice gaining a deeper timbre that chilled Romani's blood, "I came back here an' _wasted_ six years starin' through that barbed wire thinkin' it was a military mistake or some 'orrible design flaw they were coverin' up! One day…I met a guy who runs a cargo boat offshore. Every day, 'e goes right past the reactor site. So, 'e places a couple frequency monitors on buoys for me. Two weeks ago, 'cause I check this thing like every other day just for the kick in the teeth, I'm tunin' in…and, oh my God…there it is. Whatever 'it' is that's in there. Whatever it is they're guardin' so carefully…started _talkin'_ again. An' I mean _talkin_',"

He gave a bitter laugh.

"I 'ave to go back to our house. I need my old disks, if they're still there," Steven explained, "I need the data to be able to prove a baseline here that _this_ isn't a fantasy, that I'm not what ya think I am. I'm gonna find the truth…and _end_ this. Whatever it takes,"

"Why can't you just let it rest?" Romani asked.

Steven closed his eyes…a tear streaking down his face.

"Because I sent her down there, son," he murmured, "This wasn't just a reactor meltdown,"

"I don't wanna hear this!" Romani snapped.

"I know," Steven agreed, "I know ya don't…But ya _can't_ keep runnin' away. An', son, ya can't bury this in the past,"

Romani squeezed his eyes shut, trying to hold back his tears.

"I'm going to regret this," he growled before raising his voice, "One hour. And then we leave with or without those disks,"

Steven gave his son a warm embrace.

"Thanks," he murmured, "Y' don't know how much this means to me,"

**Next we have the two sneaking in to see their old home...and something special happens to them both.  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took so long, couldn't get the right inspiration for this one. But I've got it. I'm not going to keep you very long, I promise. Here's chapter 3!**

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 3

The little boat bobbed on the waves, Steven's gaze was turned towards the land while Romani's roved over the water and to the old reactors. What was it that his father was so obsessed about?

What was he hoping to find?

The two carefully and quietly made their way inland, into the flooded streets where Steven raised his hand for Romani to cut the engine.

"We walk from here," he stated, his voice muffled by the gas mask.

"Sounds good to me," Romani mumbled as he moored the boat, jumping out, his feet making a splash in the water, "C'mon Dad,"

Steven took his son's hand and was pulled out of the boat.

"Thanks," he nodded.

"One hour," Romani reminded him, "Then we get _out_,"

"One hour," Steven replied, nodding.

The two wandered through the silent city…just seventeen years ago they would have gotten run over by a bus or a car…heck even a rickshaw.

Every step they took echoed, Romani didn't like it…_at all_.

"This is like how they say Oblivion Bay was in the Kaiju Wars," he murmured.

To his surprise, Romani saw his father shudder violently…like that place evoked some feeling of terror or revulsion in him.

"Do _not_ mention that place ever again," Steven ordered, still trembling, "Do y' hear me?"

"Yeah…?" Romani started, blinking unsurely, "Dad…what's gotten into you?"

"Jus'…jus' _don't_," Steven pleaded, "That place…ya don't understand Romani…y' never will…"

Romani blinked again.

"Come again?" Romani asked as a pack of dogs came tearing around a corner, making his father jump sky-high.

"What spooked them?" Romani asked.

"Bloody menaces!" Steven spat, shaking badly, "Scare the livin' _daylights_ outta me!"

Romani rolled his eyes and kept going. He'd get his answers when they were on the plane back…_that_ was for sure.

"Dad, c'mon, let's go. It's only another two blocks," he urged.

The sooner he got outta here, the better.

But Steven didn't move, the older Hansen was staring at the Geiger Counter in his palm.

"Dad? Are we going home or what?" Romani repeated…right as Steven ripped off the gasmask, exposing his copper head to the air, "WHOA! WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_!? Dad!?"

Steven's blue gaze locked with his son's.

"It's _clean_," he stated, "I _knew_ it! The radiation in this place should be _lethal_, but there's _nothing_!"

"You _idiot_!" Romani snapped, yanking off his own helmet, "You could have _told_ me before you ripped off your mask!"

Steven gave a sad smile.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "Y're right, I should have. But, Romani…"

"_What_?" Romani snarled.

"Y' look just like your mother right now,"

* * *

><p>Romani had to kick down the door to get into the house it was rotted and rusted. The young man almost didn't recognize the mildewed and moldy walls that made up the former Becket-Hansen house.<p>

"Y' go find anything you think you'd want," Steven said gently, "I'll get the disks,"

Romani nodded and wandered off into the house while Steven walked into his and Gipsy's old bedroom. The older man looked over his shoulder to make sure Romani wasn't watching and he went to a loose tile in the wall. He hooked his fingers into a small groove and yanked the hidden door open, revealing a small alcove.

In the alcove were pictures and souvenirs from the past. A picture of a halfway armored Gipsy sparring with an equally armored young man who resembled Steven greatly, two blades, one segmented like a chain the other having two prongs, locked together as they grinned at each other under amber visors…

_"That was when your hair was long, Gips,"_ he thought fondly, _"I remember Jazmine an' Mako chasing ya down to get it cut…y' pulled some of those crazy ninja moves just t' get away…"_

There were more pictures, but Steven paid them no mind. Something else had caught his eye. For right in the center, were two silver pendants, one of a bulldog biting down on a rocket, the other of a winged star.

Steven's breath caught as he gently picked up the star, letting the untarnished silver metal gleam in the half-light as it twirled on a leather chain.

"Y' left it here," he murmured, "Ya must have known ya weren't going to make it back home that day…ya never took that thing off…"

He closed his fist over the metal and brought it to his mouth, pressing his lips against the cold metal before looping the leather chain over his neck, letting the winged emblem fall to his chest before grabbing the other pendant.

"An ol' name for an ol' time," he said bitterly, "Eh Striker? Fastest Jaeger alive an' yet ya couldn't save your own wife,"

But he looped the pendant over his head in any case.

Steven grabbed all the other photos and souvenirs and stuffed them into his bag, then he walked into his study. He heard Romani in the boy's old room, puttering around and looking at all he'd left behind. Steven gave a sad smile and looked at the room, picking up pieces of fallen metal that had been dislodged during the resulting shockwave from the reactors' collapse. He picked up one more piece of metal and gave a smile of triumph…for he had found the disks he'd been looking for.

He scooped the disks up and stuffed them into the bag, grinning like a madman.

_"_Now_ they'll know I'm not crazy Gips, now they'll realize ya weren't a casualty of some malfunction…something came in an' killed ya,"_

He was about to move…when his foot brushed up against glass. Steven looked down just to see a broken picture frame. He knelt down and freed the photograph from its shattered prison, revealing Gipsy's smiling face, with him and their three children by their side. Angel had to be about six in that picture, so that meant Romani was four and Sylph was just two years old…He felt tears stream down his face as he tucked that picture in his bag too.

Steven looked up, his blue gaze landing on an old, dimly colored from age, banner displaying 'Happy Birthday Dad!'.

Angel, Romani, and Sylph's sign.

He gave a smile…which quickly faded as the leaves outside began to rustle and his keen hearing picked up a helicopter's rotors…

"Romani…we have to go, _now_!" Steven warned.

The boy picked his way into the room, dropping a toy soldier in his back pocket.

"Charlie might want it," he shrugged, making his father give a slight smile.

"I've got the disks," Steven replied, "They've got Birds flyin' around out there…they'll see our boat if they haven't seen it already,"

"Then let's go," Romani said, deadly serious all of a sudden.

* * *

><p>The two hid behind a car as a helicopter flew over the city. As soon as it left, the two men wandered into the open…stopping to see where exactly the chopper was flying…<p>

The plant.

"Are they rebuilding the plant?" Romani asked.

"I dunno," Steven shrugged, turning around, "I haven't seen…"

His words died in his throat as a police vehicle pulled up. Four men got out and jabbed weapons at the two men, their voices garbled by their masks…but Romani and Steven could pick out the gist of their angry orders.

They raised their hands and two of the men stormed forwards, grabbing them by the arms and basically throwing them into the back of a truck, handcuffing them both to the railing and driving off…_towards_ the plant.

"What do you think they want?" Romani asked as they stopped at a gate.

"I don't know," Steven murmured even softer…but he was half-way listening and/or paying attention to his son.

His focus was more on this giant, curved structure in the middle of the plant.

It _looked_, but he wasn't for sure, like something that had come out of the past…_his_ past. When he was _more_ than just Steven Hansen.

Whatever it was…it seemed to have sensed him just as he sensed it. The humming sound it emitted throbbed even louder as Steven looked at it.

He was so absorbed watching that _thing_ that Steven didn't even notice that the men had uncuffed him and were dragging him out of the van.

"Dad?" Romani started, "Hey! Dad! Where are you taking him!?"

Steven turned towards his son.

"Romani, it's going to be ok," he promised, "I'll come find ya, I promise!"

_"Ten seconds!_" a voice over the PA system called, _"Ten seconds_!"

"Ten seconds…to _what_?" Steven asked.

He didn't get an answer, he just got shoved into a building right as the lights flickered dangerously.

* * *

><p>"You're not foolin' anybody when you say that what happened seventeen years ago was a <em>natural disaster<em>," Steven growled, "Not an earthquake, it wasn't a _typhoon_. Ok? So _stop…_look, I'm tired of talking to ya about this. I want my son. I want to see my son! I wanna know that he's alright!"

He turned his frigid blue gaze to the standing man.

"This guy…this guy knows. He knows where he is," Steven growled, voice gaining a heavy metallic overtone, "I. Want. My. Son. An' I want my bag an' I want my _disks_. _An'_ I want to talk to whoever's in charge…"

"Mr. Hansen…" the seated man started.

_"No_ not you ya wanker…" Steven growled, "I'm _done_ talkin' to ya!"

He turned to look at the mirror…knowing _exactly_ what it was.

"All right? You're lookin' at me right now like I'm in a fish tank eh?" Steven snarled, "_Fine_! Because I _know_ what happened here! An' ya keep tellin' everybody that this place is a _death zone_ but it's _not_! You're _lyin'_! Because what's _really_ happenin' is that y're _hiding_ something out there! I'm _right_ aren't I?"

His fists clenched and his face turned a brilliant shade of red.

"My wife _DIED_ here!" he roared, tears streaming, "Something _killed_ my wife, my Huntress, my _Gipsy_! AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW! I _DESERVE_ ANSWERS!"

* * *

><p>From the other side of the glass, Octavia bit her lip as she watched Steven practically <em>lose<em> it out there.

"Gipsy's dead?" Ryan asked, walking up behind her, "I…I don't believe it. And you're _sure_ that's Eureka?"

Octavia pulled out a few pictures and showed them to Ryan.

"I managed to get these out before anyone saw them," she said as Ryan looked at the picture of the man in front of them and Gipsy…both in armor, "It's him. And if the Huntress is dead…no _wonder_ he's just about lost it,"

"They said there were two men in the Q-zone, 'Tachi," Ryan said slowly.

"Their son, Romani," Octavia murmured, "I don't know where they took him though,"

"See anything of interest, Mrs. Yvern?" Vivienne asked.

Octavia cleared her throat as she handed the disks to Ishiro.

"All these items were found on him," she stated, looking sidelong at Ryan and mentally pleading that he didn't lay the pictures back down on the table.

He didn't.

"Look at the date," Vivienne murmured, "_Seventeen_ years ago!"

"I thought you said all the data from that day was _lost_," Ishiro muttered.

"Guess not," Octavia said dryly as the lights flickered again.

"You _see_!?" came Steven's voice from the room, "There it is again! That is _not_ a transformer malfunction! That is an _electromagnetic pulse_!"

"And he'd know better than anyone," Ryan muttered to Octavia, "Well…other than Levi,"

"Hush," Octavia hissed.

"It affects _everything_ electrical for miles an' miles an' it is _happenin'_ again! This is what caused everythin' in the _first place_!" Steven shouted, going to the window and seemingly staring _right_ at the group behind them, "_Don't ya see that?!_ An' it is gonna send us back to the _Stone Age_! Y' have no _idea_ what's coming!"

The room shook and the lights flashed on and off repeatedly.

"Get back to the control tower," Ishiro ordered, running back.

They made their way into the tower and into complete chaos.

"The pulses are seconds apart!" a scientist yelled, "They're getting stronger, it's affecting the power grid!"

"Any radiation leakage?"

"Gamma levels are _still_ zero!" a third replied, "It sucked all three reactors dry,"

Octavia stared at the _thing_, eyes wide as it began to pulse faster and faster, it's light burning and searing.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Ryan started as a piece of whatever it was broke off.

"It's done feeding," Ishiro started, handing the seventeen year old readouts to another person.

"What's this?" he started before pausing, "It's the _same_ pattern!"

"Seventeen years ago," Ishiro stated, "It's what _caused_ the meltdown,"

"An electromagnetic pulse," Vivienne added, "That's what it's building to. Converting all that radiation until it _hatches_,"

"We have to shut down," Ishiro ordered.

"Secure the grid!" Whelan yelled, "Wildfire protocols!"

A scientist grabbed the PA microphone.

"All personnel, clear the first perimeter immediately!"

A few minutes passed and the scientist looked up from a phone.

"Grid secure," he nodded.

"Kill it," Ishiro ordered.

Suddenly, the area was bathed in harsh white light, lightning arched through the area, biting and ravaging the pod in the center of the building. A wild, screeching keen rose from the area, making Octavia and Ryan both cover their ears. They both had heard something like that before…and neither liked that sound _at all_!

And there was silence.

"All readings have flatlined," someone stated.

"Get a visual," Whelan ordered.

Someone sent the order down and Octavia sank to her knees, still holding her head.

"Octavia?" Ryan asked softly, kneeling down next to her, "'Tachi?"

"I…I'm fine," she stammered, "Really…Raij…_Ryan_, I'm fine,"

Ryan's lamp-like golden gaze narrowed slightly.

"You're not," he stated, "Something's not right…"

And the pod exploded, revealing a long, bony leg that burst out of the rocky cocoon.

"Is that…" one of the scientists breathed, "No…it _can't_ be…they're _gone_, they're _dead_!"

Ryan and Octavia shot each other a look. They knew what it was…but it wasn't exactly themselves that they were worried about. Because whenever there was a monster…

The Hunter wasn't far behind.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile in the cell, the guards were about to fall asleep. The prisoner was quiet, no longer ranting but <em>sulking <em>of all things. If all he was going to do was sit there…there really wasn't much to do. Steven Hansen just basically watched them with his too sharp blue gaze.

Suddenly, their prisoner gave a loud roar of pain, grabbing his shoulder, face screwed up in agony.

The men in the room with him came towards him…but the pain-struck man sent them flying with just a brush of his hand. He lifted his face, opening his eyes…

Revealing brilliant golden irises instead of bright blue.

He gasped in pain, his shoulder felt like it was on _fire_…

And he looked down at said shoulder…just to see a stark black call-sign seemingly burned into his skin, the same mark that was engraved on a pendant around his neck.

He, out of curiosity, held up his hand, brow furrowed in concentration…

And his smooth, pale skin turned a bright silver, armor plating covering his arm. He could barely breathe as he let the silver armor return back to pale skin.

He was a Jaeger again…no longer purely human…

No longer Steven Hansen…but Striker Eureka.

The Jaeger staggered to his feet, reaching out for the door…and ripped it off its hinges.

"I'm comin' Romani," Striker started as he walked out the door, feeling his strength returning with each step.

* * *

><p>Romani was in bigger trouble. The boy was doubled over, gasping in pain as his human inner workings were replaced with metal and wire. His eyesight sharpened…like he was looking through the scope on a rifle. He felt strength flood him…right as his forearm burned painfully, like someone was branding him. Romani clawed at the cloth of his sleeve, nearly destroying it as he finally manage to roll it up enough to see a stark black mark…a winged sword…burned into the soft, pale flesh of his arm. He looked up and if there had been anyone in the car watching him, they would have gotten a bigger shock…<p>

For Romani's blue eyes also turned a brilliant golden color, just like his father's.

"What…is _happening?"_ Romani gasped, right as a clicking sound rumbled far, _far_ above him.

The boy's golden eyes flared brightly as he jerked his chained arm, trying to get _free_…

And the handcuffs snapped in two, throwing Romani to the floor. Romani sat up, rubbing his head. He _had_ to get out of there…

* * *

><p>Angel was singing to herself as she was washing the dishes. Her little Gipsy was taking a nap and today was her day off. So that meant getting housework done. Suddenly, Gipsy gave a scream and Angel sprinted towards her daughter's room…just to nearly collapse from pain as a burning, branding sensation entered her right shoulder. Right as her eyes burned brilliant gold.<p>

* * *

><p>Sylph was tapping on the desk during an exam, she'd finished <em>ages<em> ago…but the professor wouldn't let her _leave_! Maybe skipping out yesterday wasn't such the best idea…

She didn't get much time to think of it…as a burning feeling branded itself above her heart. The youngest sibling bit down her scream surprisingly well, clamping her hand to her heart as spots danced before her eyes…her bright amber eyes.

* * *

><p>"Mommy, it <em>hurts<em>!" Charlie cried, tears streaming as he rubbed his right arm.

"Let me take a look at it," Gwen said gently, reaching for it.

Charlie jerked his hand back.

"No! Don't touch!" he yelped.

"If you don't let me see then I can't help," Gwen reasoned, then patted the metal railing of the stairs, "Here, you can squeeze this if it hurts when I touch it, ok?"

"Okay," Charlie murmured, putting his little hand on the railing.

Gwen carefully rolled back the sleeve right as Charlie gave an ear-piercing _shriek_. There was an awful crunching noise and Gwen's eyes shot up…just to see Charlie _holding_ a piece of the stairwell that he had _ripped off_!

The boy's frightened green…no… _gold_ gaze looked up at his mother while a stark black mark of some sort seemed to have appeared on his arm.

"Mommy…what's _happening_?" he whimpered.

* * *

><p>Striker tore through the ranks of people who were running in the opposite direction. The Mark V didn't care…all he cared about was getting to his son, who was who knows where. He sprinted out onto a walkway…and froze.<p>

_"You'll remain perfectly human until the day comes where humanity will be at its greatest need against your old foes,"_

It seemed that day had come.

His visor snapped down and his blades flickered out as he slipped from human to half-way. A low, threatening, metallic snarl ripped from his throat as he saw what was in the pit.

_Kaiju_.

A _big_ one. Bigger than Leatherback, bigger than Slattern…

But he couldn't take it out…he needed to get Romani _out _of here!

Then he could find the others and they'd all take it down. If they were lucky of course.

Striker watched as the monster reached up with its spindly legs and ripped the wire grid above itss head down.

"Great…it's a _smart_ Kaiju," he deadpanned as cranes started to fall in a domino effect.

He watched as a crane came crashing down in front of him and he tried to yank back some of the terrified humans that raced past him, to save them…but the _one_ he managed to grab twisted out of his grip and joined his fellows at the bottom of the pit. Striker closed his eyes in sorrow…right as a loud scream knifed through the area. The Jaeger's head shot up…he _knew_ that yell.

"ROMANI!" Striker yelled, watching as the van that had brought them there was flipped over.

* * *

><p>Romani leaped out of the van, golden eyes wild as he stood, poised to run, by the van's wreckage. He looked up right as the <em>twang<em> of wire sounded. He saw his father's tall, lean form on the wreckage of a crane and his eyes widened.

"No…" he breathed, right as the wreckage twisted, sending Striker into a mess of metal and wire with a scream that was too quickly cut off, "DAD! NO!"

A low, but loud roar sounded from behind him, and Romani slowly turned around as the monster dragged itself out of the pit. Romani's hands burned but he paid no attention to it. He was too focused on the creature in front of him than his hands. A primal urge rose up in him, he wanted to rush out and take on the beast by himself…but he fought it down. There was _no friggin' way_ he was going to take on that thing! He was just a little squishy human up against a monster that seemed to have come _right_ out of his mother's old bedtime stories.

He closed his eyes…this wasn't possible…the Kaiju were all dead and gone, there was no _way_ one survived!

But by the time Romani opened his eyes again…

The monster was gone.

**Remember that little tidbit about the Jaegers being human until humanity needed them again? Guess they need them now! Romani will find out what exactly happened to him and the others...he gets a little bit from Striker next chapter, but not much.  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	4. Chapter 4

**When you only own a copy of the movie you're basing this off of on BluRay and the only player in the house is being used by your little sister...who does _not_ like the movie...it take a little longer to get this done. Little sis is back in school so I've got a few days to myself before I head back to college...and that means more writing!  
><strong>

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 4

_"I hate feeling like this, I'm so tired of trying to fight this. I'm asleep and all I dream of is waking to you!"_

"What are you _doing_?" a doctor asked.

"She _likes_ this song," the intern protested, cranking up the volume on the stereo.

"_How _could you _possibly_ know that?!"

"I asked her brother. I mean she can hear everything…right?"

"Auditory functions are the last sensory faculties to degenerate," the doctor admitted, checking on her patient.

The woman on the cot was still comatose, even after all these years. She'd tried to urge the family to pull the plug on the life support the woman was hooked up to…but they had shot her down _repeatedly_. She was tempted to just take out the life-giving instruments at the moment. It wasn't as if the patient was brain-dead…but it was like her mind was in an eternal state of sleep. She was hooked up to more wires and tubes than one of the Mark I Jaegers…it would have only been a mercy to take them out rather than have her live in an endless sleep.

"Comatooooose, I don't wanna wake up with out an overdooooseee..." the intern sang, and rather off key at that…

Right as the patient shot up, gasping for breath, clawing at the tube that pumped oxygen through her nose. The heart monitor shrieked for a few seconds before stopping all together…but the patient was still up, eyes wild and scared.

"Oh my God!" the intern yelped, jumping backwards and nearly knocking over the table behind him.

"She's up!" the doctor sputtered, coming over to the patient and fussing over her, "Call him!"

"Where am I!?" the patient demanded, struggling as the intern spoke into a phone and the doctor checked her vitals, "Get your hands off me!"

She shone a penlight in the patient's eyes, getting a dark, metallic snarl from her.

"Pupils are equally reactive to light…" the doctor started, picking up the patient's arm…only to get grabbed and hoisted about a foot or two off the ground by the collar.

"I said…" the patient repeated, "Where. Am. I?"

"Gipsy!"

The patient froze, breathing heavily for a few heartbeats and shaking badly. She _knew_ that voice! She looked towards the door to see a familiar, tall man. His hair had a few more streaks of grey in it since she last saw it, and there were a few laugh-lines on his face…but the lively, mischievous blue eyes remained the same.

"Put the nice doctor down," Raleigh Becket ordered with a faint smile.

Gipsy's hand released and the doctor dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

"R-Raleigh?" the poor Jaeger stammered, her golden eyes wide and afraid, "What…where…"

Raleigh came and sat next to Gipsy, brushing the woman's long black hair away from her face.

"You've been asleep for a long time, Gips," Raleigh told her softly, "C'mon, let's get you into some real clothes and out of that nasty hospital gown ok?"

* * *

><p>Gwen held the phone up to her ear, listening to the airport personnel as they tried to locate her husband.<p>

_"Could you please give me his name again?"_

"Yeah, it's Romani…Romani Hansen," Gwen told them, "Japan to San Francisco?"

_"I'm sorry Ma'am, but there hasn't been anyone by that name check in,"_

"Ok, could I at least…"

_There's nothing, Ma'am,"_

"If you could let me leave you my cell…" Gwen tried again…

But the line went dead.

Gwen cursed, throwing the phone away and putting her head in her hands. A soft footstep caught her attention and Gwen looked up to see her son padding softly towards her, golden eyes looking at her.

"I'm sorry, baby," she murmured, pulling her son into her embrace, "It's ok…Daddy's going to be ok,"

Charlie nuzzled into her shoulder and Gwen could have _sworn_ she heard the boy _purr_…like an engine or a cat…

She released him and held him at arms-length, gently touching the area where that black mark was.

"It still hurt?" she asked.

Charlie shook his head and took his arm from his mother's hands, scratching at the mark.

"Itches," he muttered, golden eyes flicking up to her.

Gwen frowned and took his arm again, gently sliding back the sleeve…

She could have sworn she saw something shiny flashing in the light, but there was nothing but Charlie's smooth, creamy skin and that black mark.

"Mommy?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah baby?"

"Am I sick?"

"I don't think so,"

"Gipsy has it too…and so does Aunt Angel,"

Gwen froze, looking at her son.

"They have what sweetie?"

"They got the mark too," Charlie told her, "An' their eyes turned yellow…like mine,"

Gwen blinked, putting a hand on her son's shoulder.

"You go get ready," she told him, "I'm going to call your aunts. Ok?"

"Kay,"

Something wasn't right around here…

* * *

><p>Raleigh, Yancy and Mako watched as Gipsy bolted down the food they had gotten her. They didn't blame her for eating like she was starving…for someone who had spent the past seventeen years eating liquefied food, something solid <em>had<em> to taste good.

"…So the last thing I remember was the ceiling coming down," Gipsy finished with her mouth full, "I dunno what happened after that,"

"It seems El's still watching over you, Gips," Yancy said, "Because for some unknown reason…it was Romeo and Brawler who pulled you out of the plant and brought you to us,"

"You still haven't told me how long I've been out," Gipsy pointed out, taking another bite of her sandwich.

The three Pilots looked at each other uncertainly.

"Well…" Raleigh started.

"Mom, Dad," came a man's voice as a tall, blond haired, brown-eyed boy came into the room, "Uncle Stacker said…"

The boy stopped, staring at Gipsy, who's golden gaze stared back…not recognizing him.

"Aunt…Aunt _Gipsy_?" he asked, hushed, "You're awake?!"

"Just woke up," Gipsy said warily, "Who are you?"

The boy…young man…blinked rapidly and looked at Mako and Raleigh, both of which were looking anywhere but at him and Gipsy.

"I…I'm your nephew…Andrew," he stammered.

Gipsy's golden eyes flared brightly and she looked like she had been slapped.

"Raleigh. James. Becket…" Gipsy started slowly, a low metallic rumble starting up in her chest, "How _long_ have I been asleep,"

"Gipsy…" Raleigh started.

"HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN IN THAT GODDA-"

"GIPSY!" Mako yelled.

"-MN COMA!?" Gipsy shrieked, ignoring her female pilot, gunmetal blue armor shining on her now clenched fists…much to Andrew's shock.

Raleigh sighed, looking at Andrew.

"Go," he ordered and when Andrew opened his mouth to protest, _"Now_ Andrew!"

Andrew left and Raleigh put a hand on Gipsy's, feeling the smooth, warm metal.

"Seventeen years, Gips," he said softly, "You've been unconscious for seventeen years,"

* * *

><p>Romani picked his way through the debris. Since that <em>thing<em> went away, everyone was going crazy trying to salvage what they could, find and help the wounded/missing…Romani was among those trying to find the missing.

The boy walked around the rubble, trying to find any sign of his father…and then he heard a soft moan.

Romani dashed over to the mess of steel and stone and feverishly began to pull the mess apart…revealing his father's bloodied face.

"Dad," Romani breathed, putting his hands on his father's cheeks, making the older Jaeger open his eyes slightly.

"Romani…" Striker groaned, his golden eyes rolling upwards as he cried out from the pain.

"Hey, _hey_, stay with me," Romani ordered before turning around, "WE NEED SOME HELP OVER HERE!"

The medics that were swarming the area rushed over to them, carefully prying apart Striker's prison. They managed to get the Jaeger freed and gently put him on a stretcher. Romani followed them, keeping his hand around his father's at all time.

"They'll take care of you, I'll be right next to you," Romani promised as they loaded Striker onto an ambulance.

"Okay," Striker murmured, eyes fluttering shut.

"Hey, stay awake Old Man," Romani ordered.

Striker cracked open a golden eye and half-heartedly glared at his son.

"I see…why Dad…hated bein'…called tha'," he grumbled, wincing as some of his inner workings grated harshly against one another.

Striker took Romani's hand and squeezed, pressing something warm and smooth into it.

Romani blinked and opened his palm, revealing a metal pendant…a winged star.

"It was…your mother's," Striker rasped, "Her…call sign,"

"Call sign…" Romani murmured, "Dad what are you saying?"

Striker groaned again from the pain, weakly brushing his hand against his neck, trying to pull something off.

A man in navy fatigues walked into the ambulance.

"Mr. Hansen?" he asked.

"Which one," Romani asked.

"Either, both…" the man shrugged, "I need you to come with me,"

"In case you haven't _noticed_," Romani growled, metal lacing his voice, "My _Dad_ need medical attention. _Now_,"

"We're going to give it to him," the man reassured Romani, "but on a chopper headed towards our aircraft carrier,"

"'Mani," came Striker's weak voice, "Let him do it,"

"You sure?" Romani asked.

Striker gave a weak nod.

"Fine then," Romani sighed, "Let's move,"

They took Striker's stretcher onto the helicopter, a few medics came on with them, settling around the badly hurt Jaeger and beginning to work on him.

"Let's get his vitals," one started, poking around one of Striker's wounds.

The Jaeger hissed, a low, rumbling growl thrumming from his chest.

"Shhh," Romani soothed, putting a hand on his father's arm, "Dad…"

"Radial pulse is weak, I'm counting 125," the other medic warned.

"It's ok," Romani started, taking off the oxygen mask and smiling sadly, "You were right, I'm sorry,"

"Go home t' your family," Striker told him, "Y' keep them _safe_. Okay?"

"Okay," Romani promised and Striker gripped his hands, matching sets of golden eyes looking into each other.

"_Whatever it takes_," Striker ordered.

His eyes flickered dimly and Romani renewed his grip on his father's hands.

"Hey, _stay_ with me," he started.

"'Mani…" Striker whispered, "I'm sorry…I…I should have told ya. Don't…don't hate me or your mother…"

"Hate you?" Romani blinked as Striker closed his eyes, "Dad…"

No answer.

"Dad?!" Romani panicked.

"Radial pulse is weaker," the medic stated, "Barely feel it…"

The heart monitor shrieked a warning as Striker flatlined.

"Dad!" Romani screeched, shaking his father's hand, not registering the babble around him, "NO! DAD!"

It was no use…

Striker was gone.

* * *

><p>They didn't issue that Striker was gone until they landed at the <em>USS Saratoga<em>. Romani was given some time alone…and the boy wasn't taking the news well.

Romani gave a blood chilling roar, something mixed between metal tearing in two and a human scream. The boy fell to his knees, sobbing. He had lost his mother…why in God's good Earth did he have to lose his father too!?

A few minutes on the floor, Romani's tears stopped. The young Jaeger pushed himself up to his feet and held his father's hand one last time.

_"It's still warm…"_ he thought bitterly as his eyes flicked to his father's completely still face.

He noticed a thin, leather chain around his father's neck and immediately thought back to the ambulance. His father had been trying to pull something off his neck…

Romani gently put his hand under his father's head and lifted up, taking his other hand and pulling the chain free…

Just to reveal a second pendant. This one with a bulldog crunching down on a rocket.

Romani frowned as he dug in his pocket, pulling out the pendant his father said belonged to his mother…

Her _call sign_.

"Where have I seen these before?" Romani murmured.

He didn't get more time to think and he hurriedly shoved the pendants in his pocket as two attendants, a tall dark-skinned man and a smaller grey-haired woman, came in.

"Sorry about your loss, kid," the man started, his voice deep and warm…just like his odd red-amber gaze, "Str…"

The woman elbowed him in the side.

"Blue, shut it," she growled before turning to Romani, her blue gaze sad, "Steven was a good man,"

"You knew my dad?" Romani asked, "Who…"

A knock on the door saved the two from answering.

"Lieutenant Hansen?" an officer asked.

Romani turned around.

"I need you to follow me, please,"

The young Jaeger gave a sigh, but he followed the officer down the hall and into a conference room where a group of people sat, stood or leaned on something, studying a bunch of papers…and there were two faces Romani recognized.

"Dr. Serizawa," the officer started, stepping out of the way and letting Romani step through.

Ishiro stood up, walking towards Romani.

"My condolences," he murmured quietly.

"We are deeply sorry for your loss, lieutenant," Vivienne said, "But I'm afraid we need your help,"

Romani looked past them, his golden gaze locked onto two other people, who looked back at him.

"Hello, Romani," Octavia said with a faint smile, "It's been a while,"

"Octavia, Ryan," Romani nodded, "good to see you,"

They ushered him in, sitting him down and starting up a grainy, black and white film.

"In 1954," Ishiro started, "The first time a nuclear submarine ever reached the lower depths…it awakened something,"

"The Americans first thought that it was the Russians. The Russians thought it was them," Vivienne stated, "All those nuclear bomb tests in the '50s? _Not_ tests,"

"They were trying to _kill _it," Ishiro said, freezing the film as something burst out of the water, _"Him_,"

An unexplainable urge rose in Romani…something feral and wild…and he could stop the low growl that rumbled in his throat as the scaly _thing_ appeared on the screen.

"An ancient alpha predator," Ishiro explained, at a loss and very curious by Romani's reaction.

"Millions of years older than mankind," Vivienne added, "From an age when the Earth was 10 times more radioactive than today. This animal…and others like it…consumed this radiation as a food source. As the levels on the surface naturally subsided, these creatures adapted to live deeper in the oceans, further underground. Absorbing radiation from the planet's core. The organization we work for, Monarch, was established in the wake of this discovery. A multinational coalition formed in secrecy to search for him. Study him. Learn everything we could."

"We call him _Gojira_," Ishiro stated.

"The top of a primordial ecosystem," Vivienne continued, "A god, for all intents and purposes,"

Neither of them noticed Ryan and Octavia both snorting before looking at each other.

"A monster," Romani growled.

"Then, twenty seven years ago, they came back," Ryan stated, "Not exactly Godzilla there but a lot of them were close,"

"Kaiju," Octavia corrected, "First one was Trespasser…"

"K-Day," Romani stated, "I remember learning about that during school…they made the Jaegers to combat them. The first being Brawler Yukon, the last being Striker Eureka…"

"And then began the first Kaiju War," Ishiro nodded, "With the detonation of the Jaeger Gipsy Danger in the interdimentional portal, the 'Breach' was shut down for a year or two. Then was reopened, starting the second Kaiju War,"

_"Mom's story,"_ Romani thought to himself.

"We believe that the Breach might have leaked some radiation from their world into ours…forcing the MUTO to wake up," Ryan stated.

"Seventeen years ago," Ishiro began again, taking the 'talking stick' from Ryan, "We found a fossil of another giant animal in the Philippines. Like _Gojira_. But this creature died long ago. Killed by these,"

He gestured at the screen again, revealing the cone-like structure that they had found.

"Parasitic spores," Vivienne explained, "One dormant, but the other hatched. Catalyzed when a mining company unknowingly drilled into its tomb. The hatchling burrowed straight for the nearest source of radiation, your father's power plant in Janjira, and cocooned there for seventeen years, absorbing its radioactive fuel to gestate, to grow,"

"Until it hatched," Ishiro growled, "Like a butterfly into the creature you saw today,"

"Wait, you _knew_ about this?!" Romani demanded, "This _thing_? The _whole time_!?"

Octavia and Ryan both looked at each other, watching as metal started threading up the boy's hands and into his voice.

"Why didn't you just _kill_ it when you had the chance!?" Romani yelled.

"It was absorbing radiation from the reactors," Vivienne tried to placate the young Jaeger, "We worried killing it might release that radiation and endanger millions,"

Romani rolled his golden eyes, shaking his dark head.

"That's why our mission was to contain it," Ishiro said, "To study its biology, to understand it,"

"We knew the creature was having an electrical effect on everything within a close proximity," Vivienne continued, "What we didn't know was that it could harness this same power in an EMP attack. But your father did, he predicted it,"

"No one knows EMPs like Steven Hansen," Ryan muttered under his breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Romani growled.

Ryan blinked, genuinely surprised that Romani had heard him.

"Nothing," Ryan stated.

Romani didn't look like he believed him, but couldn't question him further because Ishiro and Vivienne had turned to him again.

"What else did he say?" Ishiro asked.

"Please try to remember, Mr. Hansen," Vivienne pleaded, "_Anything_ that would help us…anything at all…"

Romani closed his eyes, digging his hands into his pockets and squeezing one around the smooth metal of the two pendants, so hard he was sure he was drawing blood from his mother's.

"I didn't listen," he stated, "I just thought he was crazy. He was obsessed with all this…said something about an animal call. Something talking…"

"Talking?"

"Said he was studying something," Romani admitted, "Echolocation,"

"If the MUTO was talking that day," Ishiro reasoned, "Your father must have discovered something talking back…"

He turned to Vivienne.

"Check again," he ordered.

She nodded and left.

"Search for a response call," he called after her.

"This parasite," Romani started, "It's still out there…where's it headed?"

"The MUTO is young…growing," Ishiro stated, "It will be looking for food,"

"Sources of radiation," Vivienne explained, "We're monitoring all known sites, but…if we don't find it soon…"

"Then what?" Romani asked.

"Nature has an order,"Ishiro said slowly, "A power to restore balance,"

He turned towards the picture of the monster again.

"I believe _he_ is that power,"

The picture flickered again, showing some of the Jaegers from the second war in action…specifically the two rebuilt from those who closed the Breach.

Striker Eureka and Gipsy Danger.

But that wasn't what got Romani stunned…

It was two emblems emblazoned on the Jaegers' armor.

They were the same as those on his parents' pendants.

* * *

><p>He woke up, gasping for breath and feeling his chest, trying to find the blasted holes those metal bars had left in it.<p>

"Easy there, tough guy," a soft, _familiar_ voice soothed, "You're gonna be ok,"

His vision cleared and he saw golden eyes and red-streaked black hair. His throat closed as the woman kneeling next to his bed smiled softly, brushing his copper hair away from his face.

"Hello, Striker," Gipsy smiled, "It's been a long time,"

* * *

><p>"They're all reverting," his subordinate announced, "Even the third generation,"<p>

He leaned forwards in his chair, his many medals and ribbons flashing in the light.

"Good…" he nodded, "Now…find them…and make sure they stay out of the way,"

"Yes sir,"

"I've waited too long to have the Jaegers mess this up," he murmured, closing his eyes and leaning backwards in his chair.

**Did I just change how this was going a bit? *looks back at chapter* Huh...looks like it. Who knows where this will take us...as for this guy...he's human, not this supernatural baddie like the first book.  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another one down! This chapter we get to see a few familiar faces...sorry this one's a little short, like I've said previously on other stories...I like the ending spot. :)  
><strong>

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 5

Later that evening, up in Alaska, a few men in military garb came into a small school building. They flashed IDs at the front desk and walked down the hall without much talking. They came to a door and opened it, revealing a tall, burly, white-blond man standing at the blackboard, writing the next day's lesson for the little kindergarteners on it.

"Cherno Alpha," one of them started.

"There no one by that name here," the man replied, not turning around and continuing to write on the black board.

"You're Afon Kaidonovsky, right?"

"Perhaps…" the man started slowly, stopping his writing, "Why you want to know?"

"You're going to have to come with us," one of them said stepping forwards.

"And…why would I do that?" the man asked, turning around, his golden eyes flashing dangerously.

"Your presence has been requested by one of the higher ups," another explained.

"And if I not want to be going with you?"

"You don't have a choice, Cherno,"

"There _no one_ by that name here," the man growled, eyes flashing, "You have wrong place. Go check Oblivion Bay, Jaeger might be there,"

"_Brat?"_ came a female voice from the door, _"Chto zdes' proiskhodit?"_

The golden eyed man turned to face an almost just as tall white-blond woman with dark brown eyes. She blew a chunk of white-blond hair from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear from where it had fallen out of her braid.

_"Anya, vybrat'sya otsyuda,"_ the man warned, _"Ya pozabochus' ob etom,"_

Anya's brown eyes widened as a shadow fell over her…and it wasn't her brother's.

"Cherno! Look out!"

The man, Cherno, whipped around, his hand flashing out and grabbing the assailant's arm and flipping him over his shoulder, sending him crashing into his comrades.

"Anya! Run!" Cherno ordered, shoving her out the door and following close behind.

Both brother and sister raced out the doors to the school, stopping almost immediately as soon as they rushed out the door.

They were surrounded, a group of soldiers stood in front of the building, leveling multiple guns in the sibling's direction.

A low, rumbling, metallic snarl ripped through the area…Anya put a hand on her older brother's shoulder, feeling him nearly vibrating with anger.

"This _not_ supposed to happen," Cherno spat bitterly, "Why they not just leave us _alone_!? Give us peace for all we did for them!?"

Anya gave a shrug right as a white blur shot out of the trees and bowled through the front lines, stopping next to Cherno and Anya.

"Hey, Cherno," the blur, a woman, smiled, her golden eyes sparkling, "Looks like you could use some help,"

"Tacit Ronin!" Cherno rumbled, "Timing is never better,"

Tacit beamed, taking out her twin katana and twirling them around in challenge.

"Ready?" she asked coyly.

"_Always_," Cherno rumbled, smashing his fists together as hunter-green armor flickered over them and as an amber visor snapped down over Tacit's eyes.

And the two Jaegers charged.

* * *

><p>"You know you don't <em>have<em> to go," Ryan told Romani, "We could really use you here,"

"I have a family Ryan," Romani reminded them, "I need to be with them. Dad told me to protect them…to keep them safe no matter what. I'm going to keep that promise in honor of his memory,"

"We understand," Octavia said with a faint smile, "Hey, since I've got to stay here and you're going back to the States…if you happen to stop in LA, can you tell Kat that her Mom's _so _proud of her for winning the tournament?"

"I'll do that," Romani said, hugging her, "It was good to see you both again…it's been a long time since I've seen you,"

"Not since your mother died," Ryan muttered, "Gipsy was a good woman. We were sad to hear she'd been gone. We figured you guys just didn't want to talk to anyone anymore,"

"That's not true," Romani corrected, "And you guys know it,"

"You'd better get going," Octavia told him, "We'll have to meet back up some time,"

"I'd like that," Romani smiled as he turned around and started to walk towards the top deck, followed by an officer.

"Sir, right now we're 50 miles from Hawaii," the officer told Romani as they walked across the flight deck to a chopper, "This transport will take you there. You're catching a commercial flight back to San Francisco,"

"Thanks," Romani nodded as he climbed in and pulled out his phone, dialing his wife's cell.

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna need you to brush your teeth," Gwen grinned as Charlie leaned away from the sink, nose wrinkled in playful dislike.<p>

Her golden-eyed son started laughing, revealing said teeth.

"Disgusting!" Gwen mock swooned, "Those are _terrible_! We gotta _brush_ them!"

"Nooo!" Charlie wailed pushing away and trying to duck his head away from the toothbrush his mother wielded.

"Open up!" Gwen grinned.

Charlie clamped his mouth closed, crossing his arms and shaking his head…grinning all the while.

"If you won't open up…then I'll have to take drastic measures," Gwen warned playfully…and she started tickling her son.

Charlie shrieked with laughter, falling off the stool and Gwen stuck the brush in his mouth. The little Half-Jaeger looked at his mother with a playful glare, eyes almost _glowing_ as he took the brush and started to brush his teeth.

"Good boy," she grinned, ruffling his hair as Charlie spit into the sink, rinsing out his mouth.

The five year old planted a minty-smelling kiss on his mother's cheek and started towards his room to get into his pajamas.

Gwen shook her head and walked back into the living room, noticing her flashing phone. The woman picked up the device and messed around with it, activating the voice message someone had left.

_"Gwen…"_ came Romani's voice and Gwen gave a sigh of relief, _"I…I don't know what they're saying on the news…There was an accident in Japan…"_

He seemed to break off, trying hard to keep the sorrow out of his voice but failing miserably.

_"Dad's gone,"_ he rasped, and Gwen closed her eyes, shaking her head, _"I'll explain when I see you. I'm heading to Hawaii. I'm gonna catch a flight from there. I'll see you soon,"_

* * *

><p>Romani held his head in his hands, running his fingers through his dark, black curls. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! Angel and Sylph…he had managed to reach them and he told them what happened to their dad. He also said that he would tell them more details once he got back to San Francisco.<p>

Angel was more understanding…Sylph was demanding answers that minute and wasn't wanting to take no for an answer. But when Romani snapped at her…she shut up and apologized.

_"Aloha! And welcome aboard! The train will begin moving shortly!"_ the man over the PA system announced, making Romani shake his head in annoyance.

He already had a headache…and that annoyingly cheerful voice was making it _worse_!

_"For the comfort of others, no smoking, please. Thank you,"_

Romani gave a shake of his head as he pulled out the tiny soldier toy and ran his thumb over it. Charlie would be so happy to see this…

_"Please remember to stay clear of the automatic doors_," the PA stated…

There was a yell and Romani looked up just to see a little Japanese boy pounding on the doors, calling for his mama…who was on the platform while the train pulled out. Romani jumped up and tried to get the doors open, but his fingers couldn't find purchase on it.

"Mama!" the boy wailed.

"I can't get the doors open," Romani apologized to the frantic parents, "Just stay right there! I'll bring him back, I _promise_!"

The boy started running to the back of the car and Romani went after him, wrapping the boy in a strong embrace. Dear God, he couldn't have been much older than Charlie! Romani whispered soft comforts into the boy's ear, mentally kicking himself for not paying more attention in his Japanese language classes. His mom was the best at it…Sylph had an ear for it too…but Romani took after his dad, not being so good in foreign languages.

"Alright," he murmured as he sat the boy down, "I'm gonna sit you down here. I'm gonna get you back to your mom and dad, okay?"

The boy nodded.

Romani gave a smile and dug in his pocket, revealing the soldier.

"Here, is this what you want?" he asked and the boy's eyes lit up, Romani handed the soldier to the boy, "Take good care of him for me,"

He shook his head and ruffled the boy's hair.

"I better not miss my flight kiddo," Romani chuckled with a faint smile.

* * *

><p>Tacit, Cherno and Anya had somehow managed to get away, running towards Cherno's car and getting in.<p>

"Don't care _how_ many times I see it," Anya said with a smile as she strapped herself in and Cherno hit the gas, "See you fight is _amazing!_"

"Yeah, don't get used to it," Tacit warned, "That was crossing the line back there…Pentecost won't be too happy we've done this,"

"We need to get Natasha, Galina and Luka," Cherno growled, "Am _not_ leaving them there for those humans to get,"

"Coyote's already there," Tacit reassured him, "We'll pick them up and head to Oakland,"

"In California…why?" Anya asked.

"Stacker says that's where he wants us…something about Gipsy's son,"

They pulled into the driveway and Cherno nearly killed himself getting out of the car and shooting towards the house.

"Cherno!" Natasha yelled, running out of the house and being swept into a long kiss by the Jaeger before he sat her down, "There were men all around the house…but Coyote came and drove them off,"

Cherno turned to his comrade in arms.

"You have my thanks, Coyote comrade," Cherno nodded, "Thank you,"

"It's been a while," Coyote admitted, shouldering what looked to be a shotgun over his shoulder, "But I _do_ remember how to fire one of these,"

"Where are Galina and Luka?" Cherno asked.

"Here Papa," Galina said, coming out of the house, "Luka went on his trip this morning…remember?"

"Ah…forgot," Cherno nodded.

"I can take Natasha and Galina to a safehouse," Coyote said, "You and Roni need to get to Oakland…I'll pick up Luka on the way and meet you there once I get them to safety,"

He lowered his voice and spoke to Cherno.

"You _will_ have to tell them," he muttered, "About you…about what they are…"

"They know," Cherno stated, "I tell them when this came back,"

He touched his call sign.

"Still having trouble believing it," Galina piped up, crossing her arms, "But when your eyes suddenly change color and you have a tattoo you _swear_ you didn't get…well…Papa told Luka and me everything,"

"Well that's that then," Tacit sighed, looking up at Coyote, "Stay safe…if you die…I'm going to kick your butt,"

Coyote kissed her on the cheek, "Don't worry, Roni, I'll be ok,"

* * *

><p>Romani was sitting on the train with the boy, golden eyes half-way closed…and then the boy started stirring, turning around in his seat. Romani turned around just to see a few fighter jets race past.<p>

"Whoa!" the boy gasped…

Right as the power went out, forcing the train to jerk to a stop. The passengers screamed as they pitched forwards and Romani heard the boy whimper as the lights flickered out.

"You ok?" he asked softly, the boy nodded mutely, "You give it 10 seconds, lights gonna come back on. It's ok. I promise,"

The boy grabbed Romani's hand and Romani gently squeezed it. The boy leaned into Romani's shoulder and Romani smiled…right as a sharp pain seemed to split Romani's head in two.

The lights flickered back on and Romani gave a reassuring smile to the boy.

"There ya go, what did I tell you?" he smiled, making the boy beam back.

Romani looked up towards their destination…and his heart nearly stopped.

The monster…the thing that killed his dad…the MUTO, the _Kaiju…_

Was right in their path.

The people on the train started screaming and gunfire was heard.

"GET DOWN!" Romani ordered, using his body to shield the boy.

The gunfire stopped and Romani looked up just to see the giant, gaping maw of the monster starting to clamp down on the train.

"Let's go!" he called, yanking the child back as the boy started to yell.

The train crunched to a stop, hanging on the rail, people started to tumble out, Romani himself even slid down a bit, grabbing onto a seat and hanging on for dear life.

The boy cried out and Romani looked up to see him sliding towards him. Romani let go of the seat with one hand and grabbed the boy, holding him tightly.

"I've got you," he soothed as the boy started sobbing, "It's ok, I've got you,"

He could hear the monster roaring in the background and he swung the boy onto his back. The boy nearly choked him, but Romani managed to haul himself upwards.

The young Jaeger froze, however, when he saw his hand that had been gripping onto the seat. He had left _dents_ in the metal…

And he saw a flicker of steely blue fading from his hand.

The boy gave a cry from his position on Romani's back, pointing towards the air strip.

Romani tore his gaze away from his hand and looked up…just to see this even bigger monster walk onto the air field…

And _roar_.

* * *

><p>"Charlie, please turn that TV off," Gwen said as she walked to the sink and saw her son on the couch.<p>

She heard the TV still going and she looked at her son.

"Hey, did you hear me?" she asked, "_Off_,"

Still nothing.

"C'mon Charlie let's go, it's bedtime!" she coaxed, walking past him, "_Charlie_!"

"Mommy look!" Charlie chirped, pointing at the TV, _"Dinosaurs_!"

Gwen stopped and turned around, looking at the TV as Charlie shook his head and frowned.

"No…_Kaiju_," he corrected, eyes narrowing as a low, rumbling growl fluttered from his chest.

Gwen stopped, looking at her son…who looked ready to jump up and through the TV screen…

But even more so at the pale, silver-white armor on his tiny hands.

Gwen blinked rapidly and put a hand to her mouth.

Now…it all made _sense_.

The eye color changing, the mark…and Angel, Sylph, and Gipsy all had it too…

Romani's stories that he used to tell Charlie about the Jaegers being human were _true_.

**And now Gwen knows the truth. Romani's gonna figure it all out soon enough. He's starting to put the pieces together...especially after seeing Godzilla for the first time. I can't tell you what's going to happen next, but I really hope you'll like it.  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took so long, guys. I've been settling back into college and tomorrow starts the first day of our spring semester. As a peace offering...I'm giving you a new chapter! So...forgive me? Pwease?  
><strong>

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 6

Romani was sick and tired of all the crap he had to put up with the past few days. All he wanted was to go _home_. And with the airport destroyed…

Yeah, he was going to have good luck with that.

Oh…and don't forget the now _two_ Kaiju terrorizing the area. Watching them fight was kind of nerve wracking _and_ it put a cold fire in the pit of his stomach. Like he wanted to get up and challenge those two _alone_. Which was crazy in the first place.

That second one…That thing had to be at least as big as Cherno Alpha, biggest Jaeger ever made…if not bigger.

But, right at this moment, he had to take care of the little boy currently choking him with his still frightened, iron grip.

"Stay with me buddy," he crooned as they made their way through the crowd.

The little guy was still shaken up at nearly falling to his death. And who could blame him!? Romani was very, _very_ lucky to have caught the little guy.

He still wasn't sure how the heck he had managed to catch the little guy and then haul himself _and_ the kid up to the seat.

Romani shook his head and made his way to the separation booth.

"Hi," he started, "Excuse me, I'm sorry…this boy's been separated from his parents…"

The nurse looked up at Romani and the boy as he sat the boy gently on the ground.

"Fill out this form," she told him, handing him a clipboard, "We'll be with you in a minute,"

Romani gratefully took the board and started filling it out…and then he noticed the cellphone sticking out of the pocket of the nurse's companion.

"Hey, you got service on that cell phone?" Romani asked, hopeful.

"No the _pay phones_ don't even work," the man sighed, shaking his head.

Great, that was just _great_. _How_ could the day get any worse?

He turned to face the boy…only to see that the little guy had disappeared.

"I had to jinx it, huh?" Romani grumbled, searching for the little guy.

Suddenly, he heard a joyful cry and looked up just to see the boy being scooped up into the arms of his mother with his father close behind.

The boy turned to face Romani and waved happily, the little soldier clearly visible in his hands. Romani gave a smile. Maybe now he'd be able to find a way home.

Romani looked around, seeing a military truck rolling to a stop. He turned around just to see a group of soldiers marching towards it and he smiled, tapping one of them on the shoulder.

"Sergeant," he started, "Lieutenant Hansen, U.S Navy. Listen, I need your help. I'm trying to get to the mainland…"

"It's your lucky day," the sergeant grinned, "Everything not tied down is moving east,"

"Whoa…is that where _they're_ heading?" Romani asked, remembering the earth-shaking roar and screeches filling the fiery skies.

"Yeah," the sergeant shrugged, "Guess we're monster hunters now,"

He turned away and Romani shuddered, the warm Hawaiian air seemingly freezing cold.

_"To fight monsters…we created monsters of our own,"_

"Where's a Jaeger when you need one?" Romani muttered bitterly as he followed them into the truck.

* * *

><p>"He should be here by now," Tacit huffed, crossing her arms and brushing back a strand of night-black hair underneath her cap.<p>

"Do not worry, Tacit," Cherno told her, "He come. Believe me. After attack in Hawaii…"

"No way can he stay away from it," came Coyote's voice from behind them, "Natasha, Luka and Galina are with Luna and Cho,"

"And others?" Cherno asked.

"Crimson and Mei are getting Angel, Sylph and their kids before heading here with Lei,"

"What about Romani's kid," Tacit asked.

"If we can find him then we'll get him," Coyote reassured her, "Right now, Romani's our priority because he's closest. He _needs_ to know about what he is…about what his parents were,"

A new caravan of trucks came in, making the three Jaegers look up in hope. Their hope was well founded as who would be the first to hop out of the truck…but the dark, curly-haired, golden-eyed son of Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka.

"We need to get him _now_," Cherno stated, looking at the boy as he shrugged his pack over his shoulder.

Tacit gave a nod and walked towards the boy.

"'Mani!" she yelled, "Romani Hansen!"

The boy's dark head snapped up turning towards Tacit and breaking into a bright smile.

"Aunt Ruri!" he laughed, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for _you_!" she stated, shaking her head as she got close, "_You_, young man, are a hard guy to find,"

"I've been all over the place," Romani admitted, "Lotta weird stuff happening lately,"

"I bet," Tacit deadpanned.

Romani looked at her and frowned suddenly.

"What happened to your eyes?" he asked, "New contacts?"

Tacit closed a golden eye and grabbed his arm, his call-sign.

Romani gasped as a picture of a Jaeger-Kaiju fight flashed before his eyes. A white Jaeger, having the Kaiju grab onto its neck, ripping its head off and hearing the two pilots scream in terror…only to be cut off…

He jerked back to reality, making Tacit just _stare_ at him.

"What. Was _that_," Romani gasped.

Tacit's golden eyes narrowed slightly and she gave him a shove towards the building where Cherno and Coyote were hiding.

"Inside. _Now_," she ordered.

Romani didn't argue, and the two bolted into the building…only for Romani to be swept into a crushing bearhug by Cherno.

"Good to see you, Romani," Cherno rumbled, squeezing tighter.

"Uncle…Afon!" Romani gasped, "Can't…_breathe_!"

Cherno released him and Coyote patted Romani on the shoulder.

"Uncle Tanner," Romani started slowly, "What are you all _doing_ here?"

"Same as you," Tacit shrugged, "Going to take down Kaiju,"

"We'd need Jaegers for that," Romani pointed out, "And besides, those _things_ have EMPs…they'll fry anything electrical…_including _Jaegers,"

"Only Mark IV and up," Coyote corrected, "C'mon, 'Mani, you _loved_ this subject…you should know that,"

"You do realize I've been outta school for what…six years?"

"You should know your family history," Coyote told him, "He who does not learn his history…"

"Is doomed to repeat it, yeah, I know," Romani growled, "But what has this got to do with me?"

"For love of good things," Cherno sighed, "Thought Gipsy and Striker taught him better than that,"

"Ok, Afon, I love ya," Romani hissed, shaking angrily, metal in his voice as armor crept up his hands, "But _leave my parents outta this_!"

"Hard to leave them out of this when their gift passed onto you," Cherno snapped back, "I think Romani is more Striker's son than Gipsy's,"

"Striker?" Romani snorted, "Dad's name was _Steven,_ Afon,"

"I see why he thinks that," Tacit muttered softly.

"Was human name, da," Cherno stated bluntly.

"Cherno!" Tacit snapped, "We were going to _ease_ him into it!"

"_Cherno_!? And ease me into _what_?!" Romani nearly yelled.

"Leave the Russian to be subtle," Tacit grumbled before adding out loud, "Romani…I'm just going to say it. You're not human. Nobody in this room is,"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Romani demanded, "I'm human, _Mom_ was human, _Dad_ was human. I don't know _what_ you guys have been eating or drinking or smoking or _whatever_. You're all _crazy_!"

Tacit's hand snaked out and she grabbed Romani's armored hand, holding it up to his eye level.

"Could a human be able to cover themselves in armor?" she hissed.

Romani stared at his hand, either unable or unwilling to accept that _that_ was his own appendage. He flexed it as Tacit let go of it, touching it and shuddering as it registered like he was touching his own flesh and blood arm.

"What…" he breathed, eyes wide and scared.

"With you being the son of two Jaegers…I'd be surprised if your arm _didn't_ do that," Coyote said.

"My parents…are _Jaegers_?" Romani blinked, his golden eyes flickering, "But…how…_why_!?"

"Is simple answer," Cherno shrugged, "Remember story Gipsy tell? And how Jaegers became human?"

"Mom said Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka had three kids…" Romani started, "Wait…so that means _I'm_…"

"Gipsy and Striker's son," Tacit said, pulling up Romani's sleeve and exposing his birthmark, "Your Jaeger name is Banshee Danger…seeing as your call sign looks a lot like Gipsy's. That…and your nickname from when you were little? Not so much a nickname,"

"So if _I'm_ a Jaeger too…what about you all,"

"You know me as Afon," the tall, blond Russian stated, "Name is actually Cherno Alpha,"

"And I'm Tacit Ronin," Tacit added.

"What about you?" Romani asked, looking at Coyote.

"Coyote Tango," he nodded, "Romani…we were sent here because Stacker Pentecost, _my_ adopted father, my _Pilot_, told us that you would be in danger because of what you are. They've already attacked Cherno's family,"

"Who?" Romani asked.

"A group of humans," Tacit growled, "We don't know who exactly, but they like to find us when we're most vulnerable. Cherno was attacked when he was preparing for a lesson, Coyote when he was at home working with Luna on her mechanics' project, me while I was making dinner with Cho. Crimson was attacked playing basketball with Lei. They haven't attacked your family yet,"

"How can they?" Romani asked bitterly, "Both my parents are dead,"

The three Jaegers looked at each other before back to Romani.

"Do not underestimate this group," Tacit warned, putting a hand on Romani's shoulder, "They won't care how little one of our kind is…I don't know what their intent was…but I doubt it was friendly,"

"Charlie," Romani murmured, icy fear rushing through him, "You think they'll kill him?"

"I don't know, 'Mani," Tacit admitted, "But they've had guns when dealing with us…"

"Mom's stories are true," Romani stated, "That means Jaegers heal faster than humans,"

"For the past day or two yeah," Coyote nodded, "We've been human until the day those Kaiju showed up,"

"And we have those forms…right?" Romani continued.

"Da," Cherno confirmed, "But what you getting at?"

"We can take down those Kaiju," Romani said firmly, "We can protect our families…"

"We can…but we can't reveal ourselves…not yet," Coyote said, "'Mani, as much as I hate sending out a kid to do a grownup's job, we have to. You've been around humanity longer than we have. You were born and raised human. All we've known were Kaiju, mechanics, Pilots and techs. Help these people…we'll help when we can. I _promise_,"

"Go," Tacit told him, "Before they _really_ realize you've left. There's a train heading for San Francisco. Take it…and you'll get to your family soon,"

Romani gave a nod and turned to go out.

"And Romani," Cherno called, "Stay safe. For little one and for your Gwen,"

"I plan on it,"

* * *

><p>Romani walked out of the building, it was a lot to take in. To find out he wasn't even human but a titan of wire and metal…<p>

It was a little frightening.

But what was even more frightening was the fact that his family was in danger from this threat. Just because he was different and not normal.

He shook it off. He _had_ to find a way back home.

"Alright! Listen up!" a soldier called, pointing at the train that had just pulled in, "This train and these weapons are headed to San Francisco! Anyone _not_ part of this mission disembark _now_!"

And the lightbulb flicked on.

Romani rushed into the command center and looked around.

"Who's in charge of the San Francisco mission?" he asked.

"I am," nodded a soldier, "Why do you want to know?"

"Lieutenant Romani Hansen," Romani introduced himself, "EOD, U.S. Navy. I want to join your team, sir,"

"Negative," the soldier said, "Can't do it sir. This is a high-risk mission. That train is a national asset, not Amtrak,"

Romani's jaw twitched and he hid his hands in his pocket as the steely-blue gleam of armor flickered across them.

"We good to go?" the soldier asked, looking at a group of men, "Just about,"

Romani's keen, golden gaze flicked over the mess of clockwork and cogs.

"From the look of the casings on those Minuteman ICBMs," he started, "Guessing the digital module's been bypassed and you're prepping for full analog retrofit,"

"Is my jaw supposed to drop?" the master-sergeant deadpanned, "I get it, you're EOD. I've already got my crew. They know what they're doing,"

"Aim the pointy end at the monsters," a soldier snickered, "Right Sarge?"

Romani's golden eyes flashed and he glared at the master sergeant, towering over him.

"When was the last time you let one of your guys put their fingers in a live bomb?" Romani asked icily, "Look. This is what I _do_. This is my _job_,"

The man rolled his eyes and walked towards the door.

"Master Sergeant," Romani pleaded, making him turn around, "My _family's_ in the city. Okay? I _need_ to get on that train!"

* * *

><p>Charlie watched the television in the hospital, the boy's golden gaze flickering and flashing as they watched the Kaiju on the screen. Never leaving it and tracking every move it made.<p>

"Charlie, your mom's gonna be right back," his mother's friend, Lani, told him as she picked up the ringing phone, "Emergency, can I help you?"

She froze for several seconds before replying.

"Yeah, just a sec," she said, turning to face a very worn out looking Gwen who was taking a patient to another room, "Gwen, it's for you,"

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute," Gwen said.

"Gwen," Lani stated, more urgently this time, "It's your husband,"

Gwen's hand slipped off the railing and Charlie looked up, golden eyes questioning.

"Daddy?" the little Half-Jaeger asked.

Gwen gently stroked the boy's dark hair and smiled.

"Yeah," she smiled, "I'll go see what he wants, kay?"

"When's he comin' home, Mommy?"

"I'll find out," she told him.

Gwen walked to a hallway and picked up the phone. She'd rehearsed this over and over…figuring out what to say to the man who had _lied_ to her and not told her _what exactly he was_.

_"Gwen?"_ came Romani's faint, breathless, hopeful voice…and all thoughts of anger wiped from her mind.

"'Mani?" she breathed, "Oh _God_!"

_"You alright?"_ Romani demanded, _"How's Charlie?"_

"I've been calling you _everywhere_!" she hissed, anger coming back, "_Why_ on _Earth_ did you not tell me what you _were_?!"

Romani fell eerily silent.

_"You…you know,"_ he finally said.

"Yeah I know!" she growled, "He _ripped off a piece of the staircase with his bare hands!"_

_"Gwen…you have to believe me. I _didn't know_! Not until today,"_ he explained, _"Is he ok?"_

"He's fine," she started, closing her eyes, wishing he was here so she could hold him in her arms…and then punch him in the shoulder, or the face, it didn't matter, "I've got Charlie with me,"

_"Great,"_ Romani said, sighing in relief, _"Because I wanna get you both,"_

"I can't believe this is happening," Gwen choked, leaning against the wall and running her hand through her hair, "Romani…are you ok? Are you doing ok?"

_"I'm ok, Gwen, please don't worry,"_

"I'm so scared right now…" she whispered.

_"Don't be,"_ Romani soothed, _"Gwen, you're never gonna be safer, I promise. You've got one…and a half if you count Charlie…Jaegers watching over you. And you know what? I'm going to be at that hospital by sunrise. Then I'll get you and Charlie out. Even if I have to brave those…as Dad used to call them…overgrown, walking, bloody handbags to get to you,"_

Gwen had to laugh at that.

"Ok," she breathed.

_"The military has a plan to deal with these things," _Romani continued, _"And before you ask, _no_ they're not sending in Jaegers…they've…been kinda retired. But, I'm coming to get you both, ok?"_

"Ok," she nodded, "Can you please just hurry?"

Romani gave a laugh.

_"I will. I promise," _he told her, _"And Gwen? I just wanted you to know that I love you…and if I had known what I am…what my parents were…I would have told you right up, I promise I would have,"_

"I know," she sobbed, "I love you too…just be _safe_,"

_"I'm the son of Gipsy Danger and Striker Eureka…what's the _worst_ that could happen? I'll see you soon,"_

And he hung up.

"That's what I'm afraid of," she murmured, wringing her hands.

**I will admit, I'm thinking about maybe doing a sequel to this one too. Go into the mysterious group that's hunting the Jaegers. Should be fun, right? Anyway, I looked up the height for Godzilla compared to the Jaegers...just for kicks and giggles. Cherno is the tallest at 280ft tall (85m), Godzilla is 316ft (108m), so the king of Kaiju isn't much taller than Cherno himself.  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I know this one is short! But I love the ending. I'd have had this up sooner but I had lost my flashdrive with this chapter on it then I got it back (thank God for dormmates who care!) And my roomate doesn't care for this genre...  
><strong>

**I don't own ****_anything_**** in here...except for Romani, his siblings and any unrecognizable name from ****_Pacific Rim_**** and ****_Godzilla _****(2014).**

Chapter 7

"Y' were alive _all this time_…an' ya never told me?" Striker asked, hurt as Gipsy leaned into his arms, the Mark III giving a soft, low purr as she buried her head in his chest.

"I was in a coma," she explained, "They weren't sure if I'd live or not,"

"Then _why_ didn't _they_ tell us!" Striker growled, glaring icily at Raleigh and Chuck, who had been summoned upon Striker's awakening.

"Chuck didn't know and Raleigh was ordered not to tell," Gipsy told him, "Brawler and Romeo specifically told him, Yancy, Mako…anyone who knew I was here…not to breathe a _word_ of it,"

"Why the 'ell not!" Striker snapped.

"Calm _down_ red-head," Gipsy ordered, "Geeze! I see _that_ hasn't changed. Look, there's been this group trying to track us all down. They nearly had Coyote and Tacit and almost put a bullet through Crim the last time I heard from the others. Or at least…from their Pilots. Sasha and Aleksis have Anya, Natasha, Galina and Luka while Stacker and Tamsin have Luna and Cho,"

She held Striker's shoulders, fear darkening her sun-bright golden eyes.

"That group wants to hunt us down and possibly kill us. They've gone after the others…they're gonna go after our _kids_, Striker!" Gipsy panicked, "They're not _safe_!"

"What about the half-Jaegers?" Striker suddenly asked, "Lei, Galina, Luka, Gipsy and Charlie?"

"Gipsy and Charlie?" Gipsy murmured, "Who…"

"I see they didn't really tell you…did they?" Striker asked, glaring again at Chuck and Raleigh.

"I woke up two days ago," Gipsy told him, "They've been bringing me up to speed. I know Romani is an EOD in the US Navy, Sylph's getting her degree in education and Angel is working in a lab trying to find different cures for different diseases,"

"And all of them are married," Striker told her, "Two have kids and one's expecting a little boy. Angel's married to an airline pilot and they have a little girl Angel named after you. Sylph's married to a police officer and is expecting a boy. Romani is married to a nurse and has a little boy named Charlie after Chuck,"

Gipsy seemed to slump down, blinking rapidly as tears started to stream down her face.

"I missed my children's weddings and the births of my grandkids," she whispered, before turning her face upwards and yelling, "YOU HAVE A FUNNY WAY OF SHOWING YOU WANTED ME TO LIVE!"

"Gips!" Striker hissed, grabbing her arms, "It could be _worse_! Ya could have _died_ down in there! At least ya were brought here in a somewhat ok condition!"

"Oh, so a coma's ok?" Gipsy hissed.

"Ya coulda been stuck full o' holes," Striker deadpanned, rubbing his chest, "Now, please…calm down, and I'll tell ya everythin' I know about our kids and grandkids,"

Gipsy gave a sigh before looking at her husband.

"Start at the beginning," she told him.

* * *

><p>Romani hopped onto the train, looking back just to see Tacit, Cherno and Coyote all looking at him. All three of them saluted and Romani could see the gleam of white, green and tan armor on their bodies. And then all three ran off, disappearing into the brush.<p>

"Good to see you back on here, sir," the soldier from Hawaii grinned, walking up to Romani and knocking the young Jaeger out of his trance, "Sergeant Morales at your service sir,"

"Oh…sorry, um, yeah…it's good to be here," Romani told him, as the train continued on it's way towards San Francisco.

The sun started to slip below the horizon and Romani turned back towards the warhead, his golden gaze narrowed in thought as he started towards it.

"Sergeant Morales!" he called, "Give me a hand!"

Said sergeant jogged up next to Romani as the Jaeger worked on the bomb.

"I thought these nukes all detonated by remote control?" Morales asked.

"The Kaiju…MUTOs…knock out everything electric. _Including_ detonators," Romani explained as he continued to work with the bomb, "Can't even get in _range_ without these things going haywire. But _this_…"

He hefted the clockwork detonator easily into the air…he could have done it himself, but he remembered what Tacit and the other three Jaegers had told him. To _not_ reveal himself unless he wanted that group to find him and possibly kill him.

"This on the other hand, is old-school," he finished, "Clockwork,"

"Takes a lickin' keeps on tickin'," Morales smirked.

"Heh, _exactly_," Romani grinned…right as an explosion lit up the hillside behind him.

The young Jaeger frowned right as the train screeched to a halt, throwing them all forwards. The whole crew looked up at the hillside, watching as artillery fire blazed through the air.

"Sergeant Morales!" the commanding officer yelled, "Get down here with that radio! On the double! Move, _move_!"

Morales shrugged and jogged forwards, Romani close on his heels. Gunfire peppered through the air from the hillside that still burned. Morales handed the radio to the officer.

"Snake Eyes, this is Bravo to November. Is the bridge clear, over?" he asked.

Romani's heightened hearing could pick out gunfire and yelling through the radio…and it didn't seem good to him.

"I say again. We got a train of VIP cargo headed for the coast. Is the bridge clear? Over,"

Romani wandered towards the tunnel, shining the light on his rifle down the tunnel. Whatever it was on that hillside…he wasn't sure he wanted to face it. Was it some Kaiju Cultists? He _knew_ they were still around…he remembered when he was little, when his mom was still alive. Their house in the States had been threatened by the Cultists because of his parents' involvement in the Wars. At first, Romani had thought it was just because of his uncles and aunts. Now…

Or, it could be even _worse_ and it could be the Kaiju on the other side.

"I'd rather fight the Cultists," Romani muttered to himself.

He hadn't figured out how to shift forms…or if he even _could_. And if he couldn't figure out how to shift forms between human and Jaeger to confront a Kaiju?

God help them all.

There was a rumbling, clicking sound and Romani's heart/core nearly stopped.

It…wasn't the Cultists.

Just. His. Rotten. Luck.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and Romani jumped nearly five feet into the air.

"Whoa! Easy there!" Morales soothed, "Just thought I'd tell you you got volunteered to scout ahead with me and two other guys,"

"Your idea?" Romani asked.

"Well…maybe," Morales shrugged, "There's something about you, Lieutenant. I dunno what it is…but something's different,"

"Well, let's go then," Romani said, flicking the flashlight on his rifle up to a brighter intensity as he started to walk in.

The company of four walked through the tunnel without harm. When they reached the exit and looked out over the bridge was when they stopped.

"You think it's intact?" Romani asked.

"Only one way to find out," one of the others shrugged, "You wanna take the top?"

"Sure," Romani nodded, "You check below. Sergeant Morales, you come with me,"

The group split apart and no sooner had Romani set foot on the bridge then a bunch of bats came screeching out of the tunnel. Romani shuddered.

"Bats," he growled, "I _hate_ bats,"

Morales gave a weak grin.

"Hey, at least they're going down to bother those two and not us," he told him.

"Way to look on the bright side,"

"I try," Morales grinned…right as his foot slipped and he stumbled, his flashlight slipping through his fingers and falling to the ground far below.

He cursed and Romani rolled his eyes right as a shrill whistle tweet rifled through the still air. The other team had reached the river. Romani shone his flashlight over the remaining distance and nodded.

"The bridge is intact," he said.

"Bulldog, this is Eagle," Morales called into the radio, "All clear to move out. Over,"

_"Roger that Eagle,"_ came the crackling reply.

Romani turned to Morales...right as his head seemed to nearly split in two with the massive headache that throbbed between his temples.

The Jaeger fell to his knees and Morales came to his aid.

"You ok man?" he asked as Romani groaned, shaking his head…

Right as the Kaiju made it's appearance.

"Hit the deck!" Morales hissed, grabbing Romani and forcing the poor Jaeger to the bridge.

Steely blue armor spread from Romani's hands that gripped his rifle up his arms, his legs and most of his torso, the eerie half-light shielding most of it…but Morales was _way_ too close.

"What…!?" he whispered hoarsely, "How…What. _Are_. You?"

"A Hunter," Romani murmured back as he lay still, pointing the rifle at the beast, "And _that_ is what I'm hunting,"

The Kaiju got lower to the ground, crawling under the bridge. Every atom in Romani's being begged him to push forwards and take on the monster, but Romani stayed still. He _knew_ he would be killed if he gave in to the Jaeger instincts.

Morales' radio crackled and the poor human reached back to turn off the radio, cursing bitterly. Romani grabbed his wrist tightly, but not hard, with his own armored servo.

"Help me turn it off!" Morales hissed.

"Shush!" Romani hissed back, biting back a howl of pain as his vision tinged amber and the feeling of warm metal crept up more and more of his skin.

The Kaiju slowly raised its head, opening its jaws and letting its foul breath wash over the two men. Romani could see its teeth and gooey strands of saliva dripping from the maw…

Right as the train horn blew.

The Kaiju's head jerked up and in imitated the horn before stepping over the tracks and stalking towards the tunnel.

_"This one's female,"_ Romani thought as it passed over them, revealing the red-orange glow of the eggs on the female's body, _"Its much bigger than the one Dad and I saw…not to mention the eggs,"_

Romani and Morales stood, the latter taking the gauntleted hand that the former offered him.

"Now, will you tell me what you _are_?" Morales demanded.

"I told you," Romani said, "You just need to translate it,"

"The hel…"

Screams and gunfire interrupted him and he stopped mid-curse. Romani turned around…just to see the train, on _fire_, coming towards them.

"RUN!" Romani yelled, turning tail and sprinting as fast as his legs could carry him, "Move it! _Run_!"

"Romani!" Morales yelled…right as the Kaiju's legs broke the bridge, sending them both into the river.

Romani hit it hard, swimming as fast as he could away from the point of his impact. He _knew_ what would be following him…right as the train hit the water. Romani surfaced, gasping for air as the Kaiju took one of the two warheads and bit it into smaller pieces, swallowing it. Romani felt his armor slipping away right as his consciousness did.

And everything went black.

* * *

><p>Octavia crossed her arms as she watched Godzilla swim, Ryan beside her.<p>

"_'Alpha Predator'_ my rear scales," Octavia huffed, "_Kat_ could swim better than that when she was _three_! And Slattern was bigger!"

"They're humans, they don't understand," Ryan shrugged, "That was one of the first batch…_way_ before our time. As for the other two…"

"Ugh, don't get me _started_!" Octavia growled, "That winged one? Ha! I could outfly him _anyday_!"

"Trash talking three other Kaiju, seems a bit hypocritical of y' two…don't ya think?" came a new voice, making both former Kaiju freeze.

Both Ryan and Octavia turned around, blinking at the tall slender forms of two golden eyed adults, a man and a woman.

"Redihantoresu," Octavia breathed, "You're…"

"Alive?" Gipsy said with a smug smile as she crossed her arms and leaned into Striker's lean form, "Yeah. Good to see you too…Otachi, Raiju,"

**You guys want more Striker and Gipsy, I _give _you more Striker and Gipsy. Romani and the others will be back next chapter...as Romani works to figure out how to change forms (he's halfway there...almost got it). Well, until next time!  
><strong>

**Anyway, hope you liked it. If you did, please let me know!**

**Qui vállë tóquetë, ván tecë (If no review comes from y'all; no story comes from me)**

**Máriessë ar mára tecië**

**Farewell and fair writing**

**Elhini Prime signing off.**


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